The Logan County banner. [volume] (Logan, W. Va.) 1889-1903, 1889-04-25
WAR ON wlRE-woRMs.

Various Ways to Get Rid of the Destruc-
tive and Noxious Pests.
These wire-worms, true and false,
have caused so much trouble and loss,
to FARMERS that some entom biologists
have undertaken series OF expert
ments to discover some help or rem
edy. Notably, Prof. Comstock, of
Cornell University, has done. some ex-
eellent work in this direction and has
made some discoveries that promise to
:ha of mach -Yalne.-I1 has9cnl tiYated
the worms in glass cases filled with
soil and having plants growing ID
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, Ola dark brownish color,
and have a narrow waist, the joint OF
which can be snapped in such a way
as to make sudden jump, with a
clicking noise. The smaller beetles
are found in meadows and cultivated
fields; the largest kind, which has .
large oval spot ON each side of the
middle that may be easily thought to
be an eyesby uninfosmed persons, has
been found in large numbers in the
decayed fallen trees in the woods and
in leaf mold. The beetles are too we'll
known to need further description.
The worms, or larvae, are brownish.
slender grubs pointed at each end and
having three legsaenly on each side
No doubt the beetles do as much dam
age as the worms, but being better
able to 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 following.
so as to 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. He 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 and 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 threedays caught 1852
beetles. The sweetened dough was
less effective than the. fresh clover in
small lunches; which was the best
bait. The bates were then poisoned
with paris green, and the traps aver
aged 232 dead beetles each in a field
from which a large number had heen.
previously taken, Sixty-seven and a
half per cent sof the beetles were
caught at night, and 81 per cent. OF
the beetles caught in uncovered traps
were taken in shallow ones into which
the insects had crawled, Some other
beetles which are known to iniure the
roots OF corn were taken in these
traps. and one useful as a destroyer OF
pernicious insects, a greenish black
beetle with metallic luster, was taken,
but which is TO be spared as being
helpful and not noxions.
These experiments are Of much in
terest and value as showing the way
TO get rid Of tho pests, and as suggest.
ing other and further trials BY farmer,
themsely yes Heary Stewart, In N. X
Times.