31 
plemental to the article in my former report, I will close them with 
some extracts from correspondence in reference to the operations of 
these insects in 1877 ; and some statements by Curtis, the great Eng¬ 
lish economic entomologist, respecting their history and habits in 
England. 
The following from correspondence received during 1877 indicate 
the localities in which they are known to have been more or less 
troublesome during that year : 
“The Wire-worms have done considerable harm. They cut the 
grain of corn out; sometimes six are found in one grain. . They are 
yellow, one inch long, and jointed.”—G. G. French, Shobonier, Ill. 
“There are a few Wire-worms in the corn, but not in sufficient num¬ 
ber to do any material injury. A few nearly every year.”—Lorenzo 
Bank, Oswego, Kendall county. 
"The Wire-worms were quite destructive in localities in this county. 
In the vicinity of Barr’s Store, eight or ten miles northwest of here, 
several farmers were obliged to plant corn the second time on account 
of them. At Chesterfield, ten or twelve miles southwest, some corn 
was planted the third time. Were most destructive on new plowed 
ground, the first and second yrnar after turning sod.”—S. D. Conley, 
Carlinville, Macoupin county. 
“The Wire-worm is, next to the Cut-worm, the worst insect we have 
in corn. They hold on much longer from the time the corn is up till 
it is hard roasting ears. They work up from the root as high as the 
ear on the stalk. They often ruin our crop here.”—V. R. Faught, 
Evanston, Hancock county. 
It is possible that the work of some other species of insect is in¬ 
cluded here. The statement of Mr. Conley that they were worse soon 
after turning the sod is just what is to be expected, and indicates the 
propriety of turning the sod, if possible, one year previous to cultiva¬ 
tion in such crops as are subject to their attacks. 
I am still decidedly of the opinion that starving them out by re¬ 
fraining from planting for a year and repeatedly stirring the ground 
is the only sure remedy. One great advantage of this plan is that it 
not only tends to destroy these worms, but also the White Grubs, Cut¬ 
worms and numerous other species that reside in the ground in the 
lai va state and are not easily reached by topical applications or other 
means. It is not difficult for farmers to test this remedy on a small 
scale where these insects are troublesome, and it is certainly 7 worthy of a 
trial. Where they are very numerous, and the nature ot the soil will 
justify 7 it, it would be well to spread unslaked lime over the surface 
and turn it under as deeply 7 as possible before rain falls upon it. If 
this could be done, consistently with the nature of the crop to be 
grown, very early in the spring, this would probably be the best time ; 
otherwise it should be done late in the fall. I am not aware that this 
remedy has been tried—lime has again and again been used, and gen¬ 
erally without favorable results—but the use of unslaked lime in the 
manner indicated, and in as large quantities as the land will bear, 
has not, so far as I can learn, been tried. To be of any value it must 
be applied freely and well turned under. 
According to Curtis, when the Wire-worm reaches its full size it de¬ 
scends a considerable depth in the earth, where it forms an oval cell 
of the surrounding particLs of soil, not lining it with silk ; it then 
