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Report  on  Wireworm. 
“Bolling  after  sowing  is  generally  admitted  to  be  the  best  preventive.  By 
rendering  the  soil  firm  and  compressed,  it  prevents  the  ready  passage  of  the 
wireworm  from  plant  to  plant,  and  thereby  localises  the  damage. 
“ Where  crops  are  affected,  rolling  or  treading  by  sheep  where  practicable  is 
a plan  universally  adopted,  and  is,  I think,  the  best  remedy. 
“ David  Howland,  Titley,  Herefordshire .” 
“ Bolling  and  treading 
serviceable. 
at  the  time  of  sowing  the  seed  have  been  found 
“ Balm  Lowe,  Sleaford,  Lincolnshire ." 
“ Wireworms  are  more  active  in  the  spring  months  after  a long  frost  (on 
account  of  the  land  being  then  more  porous),  than  they  are  in  mild  winters. 
I have  used  30  cwt.  of  gas-lime  to  the  acre  on  clover  ley,  and  harrowed  the 
land  a week  or  nine  days  before  being  ploughed  up  for  wheat  with  good  effect, 
and  put  the  shepherd  to  drive  sheep  close  over  the  field  when  the  drill  was 
planted.  In  March,  if  the  land  is  dry  enough,  put  cattle  and  sheep  to  tread  it 
and  roll  down.  I do  not  think  rolling  does  as  much  good  as  the  horses  do  in 
treading,  especially  if  they  are  driven  three  abreast. 
“ G.  Burgiss,  Farm  Manager  to  the  Bight  Hon.  the  Earl  of 
Winterton,  Strutherglen  Parle,  Petworth .” 
“ No  doubt  in  Hampshire  the  wireworm  is  a scourge,  but  it  is  not  numerous 
enough  here  (Downton)  to  cause  us  trouble.  Our  ground  is  heavily  stocked 
with  sheep,  and  probably  their  constant  treading  interferes  with  its  movements. 
“ Most  of  our  land  carries  sheep  at  least  once  a year,  and  much  of  it  twice  ; 
vetches  fed  followed  by  roots  fed  alternating  with  the  ploughings  and  dressings 
necessary  for  the  cultivation  of  the  crops  must  be  an  unsatisfactory  state  of 
things  for  the  wireworms.  On  poorer  soils,  where  only  about  half  the  number 
of  sheep  per  acre  is  maintained,  the  wireworm  is  to  be  found  established  more 
frequently. 
“ Prof.  J.  Wrightson,  Coll,  of  Agriculture,  Downton 
“ Our  treatment  of  land  where  crops  are  affected  is,  frequent  use  of  the  ring- 
roller  and  steady  driving  of  sheep  backwards  and  forwards  over  the  land. 
“ J.  Forrester,  Bryanston,  Blandford, 
“ For  the  Bight  Hon.  Viscount  Portman.” 
“ The  firmer  the  land  the  better  ; consequently  I have  often  used  sheep  on 
the  wheat  land  when  too  wet  for  rolling.  Good  cultivation — plenty  of  har- 
rowing, &c. — is  always  beneficial. 
“ T.  B.  IIulbert,  North  Cerney,  Cirencester.'' 
“ Treading  the  ground  with  sheep  and  cattle,  and  rolling  with  a heavy 
roller,  are  good  measures  for  killing  the  worms. 
“ John  Sutherland,  Berridale,  Caithness." 
“ If  the  wireworms  attack  a crop,  the  only  way  that  I have  found  to  stop 
them  is  to  get  the  land  into  as  firm  a condition  as  possible.  If  the  land  is 
open  they  can  travel  easily  from  plant  to  plant,  and  may  often  be  seen  work- 
ing up  a drill  and  killing  all  the  plants  in  succession.  If  the  land  is  firm 
and  hard  pressed,  the  wireworm  has  more  difficulty  in  working  about  in  it. 
Rolling  constantly  with  a heavy  roller,  or  turning  sheep  backwards  and  forwards 
on  the  ground  is  the  only  way  to  get  it  properly  consolidated. 
“ M.  Locke  Blake,  near  Ilminster." 
