Reports to the Board of Agriculture. 15 
there about in the garden to attract any stray beetles to deposit 
their eggs ; these heaps can be examined in the winter and all the 
grubs burnt. 
POTATO PESTS. 
Myriapoda in Potatoes. 
Numbers of centipedes and some millepedes were sent to the 
Board from Honiton with a note to the effect that they (the centi- 
pedes) were destroying the potato crop in that neighbourhood. 
The Scolopendridse were mostly alive in a small tin box, but 
several had been killed by the stronger ones in the box. 
These Scolopendrkke are certainly carnivorous and do not seem 
to be destructive to roots, although Curtis mentions such a habit, 
quoting the following from a correspondent : “ Mr. Hope attributed 
the potato disease to the attacks of wire-worms, and also to a small 
Scolopendra which was found in myriads infesting diseased potatoes 
at Southend.” 
In all cases where these myriapods are sent as the culprits 
other pests will be found on careful examination. In the box sent 
from Honiton were also the remains of some small Julidce which 
have undoubtedly been the cause of the trouble. The large centi- 
pedes sent had probably been feeding off these Julidse and other 
animals in the soil. 
With regard to destroying the Julkke, nothing further can be 
added to the information given on pages 86 and 105. 
Wire-worm ( Lacon murinus , L.) in Potatoes. 
An insect sent to the Board in a potato from Barley, near 
Burnley, proved to be the larva of one of the Elateridae or Click 
Beetles, i.e., a wire- worm — Lacon murinus. 
There is unfortunately no remedy when wire-worm get into the 
potato crop. The field should be deeply trenched later on and a 
crop of mustard grown afterwards. Sometimes wire-worm will leave 
potatoes for wurzel and carrot, so that slices of either, if procurable, 
might be put here and there along the rows just under the ground 
and examined every few days, or rape cake may be spread between 
the rows, as this class of larvae are very fond of this as food, and 
would probably be drawn away from the plants. 
(Mr. Deadman, of Wye, finds that beet-root forms a much 
attractive bait than any other root for catching these pests.) 
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