5 
other, the ploughs following regularly so as not to 
retard spring operations. In this way (or with any 
adaptation of the principle that may be more convenient) 
the surface is so completely cleared of grass and 
herbage, and also sodden and consolidated, or “ firmed,” 
as it is sometimes phrased, by the droppings and by 
the trampling of the animals, that the beetle eggs are 
either not laid on the unsuitable ground, or are for the 
most part destroyed, and the wireworms are lessened 
in number or driven away by want of food, and difficulty 
of travelling in the firm and poisoned ground. 
Various chemical manures have been found useful for 
top dressing in the same way. Salt, at the rate of five 
to six cwt. per acre, has been serviceable in many 
cases, and applied in heavier dressings up to ten or 
twelve cwt. some weeks before sowing, it has served 
not only to diminish the numbers of the wireworm, but 
also to clear out the twitch or couch grass, which 
serve for a most favourite head quarters of these insect 
vermin. Gas lime acts well, at the rate of five cwt. the 
acre, or applied fresh and in larger quantities may be 
used as a regular killing dressing fairly to stamp out 
all surface life, insect and vegetable, and “Alkali 
waste” (where procurable) is a valuable application 
for the same purpose. In the neighbourhood of chemical 
works this material is to be had for little if any cost 
beyond that of carriage, and its strongly caustic pro¬ 
perties make it a thoroughly valuable application for 
killing everything objectionable on which it can be 
brought to bear. In heavy dressings it destroys the 
deepest rooted weeds, such as thistles or coltsfoot, as 
well as couch grass, and insect vermin fare no better in 
contact with it, and when it's first work is over the 
process of oxidation turns it to a manure suitable to 
land on which gypsum is of use. The large amount of 
this material which is sometimes laid on in the neigh¬ 
bourhood of works where it is thrown out for the 
having, may be considered an extreme example of the 
principle of stamping out vegetable and insect enemies 
together, and letting the land rest a few months to 
recover itself; but in whatever way we set about the 
work, the various details of this very first commence¬ 
ment of getting infested ground into a fairly safe state 
turn on the points just brought forward of making the 
surface unattractive to the beetle for egg laying, of 
destroying the eggs, and of lessening the numbers of 
the wireworm by the state of the artificially sodden and 
poisoned and compressed ground. 
It is not desirable that I should take up your time by 
entering on the details of the different agricultural 
measures 'used in breaking up pasture land for the 
prevention of future attack, but I will endeavour to 
point out how, in the general system of operation s 
adopted by many agriculturists the main points ar e 
suited to act at once on known habits of the wireworms , 
.and also how sometimes all the benefit hoped for may 
be lost for want of a little care or knowledge. 
The general plan followed by many agriculturists 
may be shortly stated to be this—to have the pastures 
