MUSTARD BEETLES. 
61 
grass or in the earth, they will live in the reed till the spring.”— 
Charles Clay Harvey. 
Are Beetles brought in Seed ? 
The replies mention that they are to be found in seed after 
threshing, and have been seen alive in seed two years after threshing, 
but have rarely been observed to be brought with the seed.— Ed. 
“ They are frequently found in the seed when freshly threshed, but 
do not appear to remain long afterwards.”— Alfred Fuller. 
“ I do not think they are brought in seed.”— Eichard H. Sears. 
“ They are rarely brought with the seed.”— Samuel Egan. 
“ I have no personal knowledge that they are brought with the 
seed. I should think careful sifting in a close sieve would prevent 
their being sown with the seed, or I should think that the ordinary 
solution of vitriol, which is used for dressing seed-wheat, would kill 
them.”— Ernest Smith. 
“ I have never seen beetles in the seed, nor do I think they are 
brought there even the shape of eggs.”—W m. Abbott. 
“We have found the beetles alive in sacks of the seed for two 
years after it has been threshed.” — C. Caswell. 
Weeds and Crops attacked. 
2 . —Upon what weeds or crops do the beetles feed till the Mustard is 
ready for them ? As—Charlock, and the like; or brook-lime, 
and other weeds found by ditches ? 
“ Cress, Charlock, Kohl Eabi, Cabbage, and other things of same 
nature and constitution.”— Alfred Fuller. 
“ My opinion is that they will eat White Mustard before anything 
else, then garden Cabbage and Horse-radish. Although there is 
abundance of Brown Mustard and Charlock growing near where the 
beetles were very numerous last year, I have only seen one or two on 
these plants at present.”— Ernest Smith (June 26th, 1886). 
*“I am not aware of any plant they feed on earlier than the 
Mustard. Charlock comes about the same time as early-sown seed. 
We have had Mustard growing, or at least green, all through mild 
winters, but we have not seen it eaten by beetles before the spring— 
April or May. Beetles appear as soon as the Mustard gets in leaf: 
the first have two light drab stripes down the body; others follow. It 
is the beetles which do the mischief: there are no grubs early in the 
season perceptible to the naked eye. In the beginning of May they 
* This note refers to appearance of beetles generally (that is, not only of the 
Phccdon hetulcs) on Mustard. The striped beetles referred to are Turnip Flea- 
beetles, of which the attacks to Mustard are sometimes very severe. 
