26 
CORN AND GRASS. 
many years, for five years so far as we know, feeding tlie whole time 
(excepting when it may go down deep for shelter in the winter) on 
almost any crops, and, failing them, on grass roots or what it can find. 
Some parts of the country, as the Orkneys, and part of the 
Scottish Seaboard and Islands, appear to he little troubled with it, but 
it is widely spread, and one of our pests which is never totally absent; 
and looking at the acreage under crops which it particularly attacks, 
as Wheat, Barley, Oats, also Hops,' Swedes and Turnips, Potatoes and 
Mangolds, amounting as stated in the Government Agricultural 
Returns for 1882, to 8,406,709 acres in England only, each farmer 
can see for himself the vast cost of entertaining such a guest. The 
following communications show methods by which its presence may 
be much diminished and injury from its ravages lessened, in cases 
where it cannot be wholly got rid of. 
Treatment to prevent Egg-laying to destroy or starve out 
Wire worms. 
Observations concerning such treatment of pasture or Clover ley by close 
grazing , treading with sheep, dressing with lime, gas-lime, salt, and 
nitrate of soda, die., as may best prevent the Click Beetles from laying eggs, 
or which may destroy such eggs or Wireworms as may be in the soil, 
before the land is broken up. Various methods of ploughing and 
consolidating the land; also of paring, burning, and cleaning out 
roots and rubbish, and of cropping and manuring suited to starve out 
or destroy the Wireworm and promote good growth of the next crop. 
Feed down the land as bare as possible before ploughing it, and 
leave as few stumps of grass as possible or leaves to plough in. I 
believe a top-dressing of lime, or lime and salt to the land, after it 
is eaten down bare, and before it is ploughed, would also tend to check 
the Wireworm. After the land is ploughed, roll it down as tight as 
possible.—M. Locke Blake, near Ilminster. 
In order in some degree to prevent mischief from this pest, it is 
well to consolidate the surface thoroughly, and to graze every bit 
of plant off all leys or pastures which it is desired to break up. For 
this purpose sheep and cattle should be fed with cake, corn, or other 
feeding stuffs, so that each inch of land shall be trodden and eaten 
bare. By this means the grub would be destroyed, or if it escaped 
being trodden to death it would find great difficulty in obtaining food, 
both through the scarcity of vegetation and the solidity of the surface 
soil. 
A dressing of gas-lime on the surface and ploughed in, has a good 
effect on any of the worms which may have escaped the treading and 
starving. 
On land suspected of containing this plague it is advisable to sow 
