29 
lan corn. Whether the other corn-like crops, such as sorghum and 
mom corn, are liable to its attacks, I am not at present able to 
,iiy. If the larvae were capable of living upon other generally culti- 
ated cereals, the fact could not have failed to manifest itself long 
go in badly infested regions. Much evidence of the efficacy of 
)tation has been given already, and only two or three instances 
jeed now be added. In a field planted to corn by Dr. Boardman, 
ear Elmira, in Stark county, a part of the ground had been in 
arn for several years previously, while a part had been in rye the 
revious year. Of the first field some was heavily manured, the 
unainder not. These fields were not separated even by a fence, 
,nd yet when I visited them in August, it was easy to distinguish 
yen at a considerable distance that part which had been in corn 
le year before from that which had been in small grain. Although 
le former in June was even more thrifty than the latter, in August 
s inferiority was evident to the most casual observer. The crop 
lised upon old corn ground, and not manured, yielded but fifteen 
ushels per acre, while that which was manured averaged about 
)fty bushels, and on the other hand that planted upon ground 
)wed to rye, and not manured at all, yielded seventy bushels per 
3re. All these fields were planted the same day, and treated pre- 
:\sely alike throughout the season. A similar condition of affairs 
Las found upon the farm of Col. Jackson, in this same region, 
here three fields lying side by side, showed precisely similar differ- 
lces, evidently dependent entirely upon the previous history of the 
ind with respect to the kind of crop to which it had been devoted. 
1 DeKalb county, evidence of the protection afforded by the rota- 
on of crops, is afforded on a much larger scale. On a farm of 
[COO acres owned by Hon. Lewis Steward, near Plano, rotation of 
•ops has been the regular rule; 1,603 acres of this land was 
! anted to corn this year, and 700 acres were carefully examined by 
Lr. Webster. In August, only ten acres of this entire tract was 
tund affected by the corn root-worm, and this was where, in the 
arrangement of the fields, a small tract of ground happened to 
'ave been planted to corn the previous y^ar. All about Mr. 
Reward’s place, on farms where rotation was not systematically 
racticed, the damage done was serious and general. With respect 
) other measures, the history of the insect gives us little hope of 
Aective treatment. During its early stages as egg, larva and 
upa, it is scattered and hidden in the ground beyond the reach of 
ay agency except local applications to the soil, and to apply these 
iroughout the field would be of course impracticable except on a 
3 ry small scale, unless some fertilizer shall perchance be found, 
hich while improving the land shall likewise injure or destroy the 
isect. Experiments with reference to this matter can easily be 
>ade at small expense, and will doubtless repay the trouble, but 
ill probably teach us nothing but the hopelessness of attacking the 
bst in this way. The experience of farmers commonly shows the 
Ivantage of enriching the ground, as a palliative merely, by 
■tabling the corn to react against the partial loss of its roots, but 
Lis does not at all diminish the number of-worms, nor protect the 
3 ld indeed against serious loss. Since the beetle feeds at first freely 
. the field, exposed upon the corn and weeds., it would of course 
