WIREWORMS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2003, 14 July 1892, Page 7

WIREWORMS.

As everyone knows wireworms are the larvse of a beetle, and their food being chiefly the roots of wheat and other useful farm plants, they do incalculable mischief where they are

found in large numbers. These pests are exceedingly difficult to get rid of, and if neglected are apt to increase to such an extent a to cause very serious loss to the farmers In the old countries the rooks do a great deal of good by devouring both the wireworms and the white grubs (the larvte of the cockchafer beetle), but they also destroy very large quantities of wheat and other grains. The starlings and the seagulls are perhaps tho best feathered friends to the farmer in this respect, because they do good without harm. At ploughing time enormous numbers of gulls of various kinds may be seeu crowding into the newly-turned furrow after the ploughnlau, feasting upon such grubs as are exposed and scratching for more. In New Zealand we have both these birds — the gulls everywhere near the coast, and the starlings in favoured localities in large flocks which need further distributing. In the United Spates a great deal of attention has been giveu to this pest, as it is the cause of mnch loss, and many experiments have tried, with varying success. In New Zealand the insects have been known for a great many years, and every year the farmers' complaints of them have become louder. There can be no doubt that the wireworm at present costs the colony a very heavy loss, aud that loss will become very much more serious if no steps are taken to keep it under. Like a great manjr other evils it is in need of some competent scientific man to deal with it. Professor Cornstock has probably giveu more attention to this pest and tried more ' experiments upon it than anyone else, but his experiments have always been upon a very small seale — upon iusects confined in an insectary for the purpose. In Professor Cornstock's insretary there are an abundance of plants grown in glass boxes, and so contrived that they can easily be raised by levers so as to submit the roots to observation, in this way a great deal has been leared, but, like many other experiments on a small scale, and under special circumstances, they have not been found to answer so well as might have either been expected or hoped, although of course they form a good step in the right direction. Farmers here would do well to endeavour to check an evil so likely to cause severe loss iv the near future, and it is proposed next week to give the results of some of Professor Cornstock's experiments, as well ns those of Professor J. B. Smith, on a much larger scale. Economic Entomologist.