Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1889-03-21
WAR ON wIRE-woRMs.
Various Ways 20 Get Rid OF the Destru,
tive and Noxious Pests

Various Ways 90 Get Rid OF the Destrue.
tive and Noxious Pests.
These wire-worms, true and false,
have caused so much trouble and loss
TO farmers that some entomologist
have undertaken a series OF expert
ments to discover some help or rem
edy. Notably, Prof Comstock, OF
Cornell University, has done some ex-
cellent work in this direction, and has
made some discoveries that promise 10
be Of much value He has cultivated
the worms in glass cases filed with
soil and having plants growing in
them, so that the habits Of the worms
could be noted; the true wire-worms
are here referred to and not the myria-
pod.
The elatere or click beetles are long.
narrow, oval insects, varying In size
from one-tenth of an inch TO two inches
in length, OF a dark brownish color,
and have narrow waist. tie Joint OF
which can be snapped in such way
as to make a sudden jump, with a
clicking noise. The smaller beetle,
are found In meadows and cultivated
fields; the largest kind. which has a
large oval spot ON each side OF the
middle that may be easily thought TO
be an eye by uninformed persons, has
been found in large numbers in the
decayed fallen trees in the woods and
In leaf mold. The beetles are too well
known to need further description.
The worms, or Larvae, are brownish,
slender grubs pointed at each end and
having three legs only on each side.
No doubt the beetles do as much dam
age as the worms, but being better
able 10 escape are not so easily caught
European farmers have been in the
habit OF evading the injuries by these
insects by various operations, as plow-
ing, narrowing or summer fallowing,
so as 10 starve them by DESTROYING
their food, and also by sowing frag-
ments Of rape-seed oil cake. which the
worms eat with avidity and kill them
selves. But Prof. Comstock has hap
PLY succeeded in finding better way,
which promises TO be effectual in the
destruction OF these pests. lie used bait
OF sweetened corn-meal dough. fresh
cut clover. sliced potatoes and traps
Of small boards laid over the bats.
In which the worms might hide.
These traps aud bats secured
more beetles than worms, which
was an unexpected success, as
the capture Of the mature insects
Is better than that Of the worms as de-
strowing the means OF propagation.
Twelve traps In three days caught 1872
beetles. The sweetened dough was
less effective than the fresh clover in
small bunches; which was the best
bait The bates were then poisoned
with paris green, and the traps aver
aged 234 dead beetles each in a field
from which large number had heen
previously taken. Sixty-seven and a |
half per cent OF The beetles were
caught at night, and 81 per cent. Of
the beetles caught in uncovered traps
we're taken In shallow ones into which
The insects had crawled. Some other
beetles which are known TO injure the
roots OF corn were taken In these
'raps, and one useful as a destroyer OF
pern'cions Insects. a greenlsh black
'eefis with metallic luster. was taken.
'ut which Is TO be spared as being
lelpful and not noxioua
These experiments are OF much in
crest and yalno as showing the way
o get rid Of the pests. and as suggest
rs other and further trials by farmers
themselves Henry Stewart, In n. Y.
'lnea