WHEAT WORM

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 61, 5 December 1917, Page 6

WHEAT WORM

DAMAGE DONE IN CANTERBURY. Many South. Canterbury farmers (says tho Christchurch "Press") are bow watching their wheat crops very anxiously, with a View to detecting tho first sign of tho trouble which has already made itself manifest in a number of crops which have been partially destroyed* In order to ascertain, if possible, tho cause of tho. trouble, Mr. T. Butchers, orchardist, 'of Fairviow, who makos a close study of insect and

other pests, sot to,work last week to jnake a close examination of some of the affected fields, and what he found confirmed the opinion ho had previously held —namely, that tho pest in this instance is a tiny worm, which gets in the roots of the'wheat stalk and eats them, thereby killing the plant. Theso worms are to be found in great numbers this season in tho surface soil,

particularly in wot localities, and they eeem to work in rings, so' that a field ■ of wheat which they attack often has the appearance of shaving a disease which might be likened to ringworm in cattle; that is to say, there are rings 'of dead wheat here and there ainong the healthy grain. It has been noticed that the appearance of theso destructive little worms occurred previously in South Canterbury in the spring of 1913, when there was a superabundance of moisture, just aa there has been this year. In 1913 they were particularly bard on autumn-sown wheat. With tho advent of dry weather, they go more deeply down into the soil, too far below the cereal crops to harm them. The trouble was not so noticeable four years ago as it is this season. Damage to the extenirof some thousands of pounds has ' been done, though since the dry spell set in the worms have, to a extent, disappeared. Their ravages are to he eeen in various parts of South Canterbury, half of some crops being destroyed. There is no sign of blight or rust on the samples of wheat which have been collected from the wormeaten areas.

" To correct acidity and flatulency take SHARLAND'S FLUID MAGNESIA. Being freshly nrepared and always full strength, SHARLAND'S is the best you can buy—Advt.