26 
CLOVER. 
Prevention and Remedies.— From the nature of the attack nothing 
at all can be done to stop the ravages of the maggots, when once they 
are established in the heads. The only paying course then is to cut 
the crop for hay. 
Something, however, towards prevention of sowing a future infes¬ 
tation together with the seed may be done by careful examination of 
the seed before sowing. Most of the maggots leave the seed heads, 
but not all. In specimens sent me at my request from stacked infested 
Clover, I found maggots of this kind present on the 20th of October. 
As the maggots may live on amongst the seed until next spring, as 
they would have done in the ground, attention to this point is strongly 
urged amongst American methods of prevention. 
Prof. W. Saunders, Director-General of the Government Experi¬ 
mental Farm Stations of Canada, says:—“It is of the utmost im¬ 
portance that farmers exercise the greatest caution in the purchase of 
Clover seed, else, while sowing their seed, they may at the same time be 
sowing an enemy, that will to a greater or less extent destroy the crop. 
Seedsmen also should exercise great care, otherwise they may be the 
means of seriously injuring the Clover-growers in the district by the 
introduction and dissemination of this pest.” * 
Infested seed may be easily known by looking for the “ red 
maggots,” which will show as little orange or reddish bodies amongst 
the grains. Seed may very likely be foul, if from infested Clover heads, 
whether it is home-grown or imported from America. Obviously such 
seed should not be purchased, and if it is sown with the maggots or 
chrysalids alive in it, this amounts practically to putting in the seed 
of the infestation along with the seed of the next crop. Various 
methods of disinfecting the seed have been suggested, as putting it in 
a closed vessel and exposing it to fumes of bisulphide of carbon, 
or some kind that would destroy the grubs. But in this method care 
must be taken both as to what is used and the amount. 
Dressing or steeping the Clover seed in the way often practised 
with Wheat would in all probability kill the red maggots ; but experi¬ 
ment here also would be needed, both as to what kind of applications 
might be used with safety, and also what strength is safe. If the seed 
was left too long after being wetted before being sown, this also might 
ruin the germinating powers. 
In the case of dressing Beans infested by the Bean-seed Beetle, it 
has been found that Calvert’s carbolic acid has been of service, and 
also a dressing of lib. of “ blue vitriol,” and 1 pint of McDougall’s 
sewage carbolic, with 6 quarts of water. This was used with success 
for 6 bushels of Beans. 
How far the above would be safe for the small Clover seeds even 
* See Report by Prof. Saunders previously quoted. 
