The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1916-07-12

CORN AND COTTON wIREwoHM--A, ADULT
BEETLE; u, LAIivA ENLARGED.
mont OF agriculture has just published
farmers bulletin 10, 'Wlrcworms De.
structivc to Cereal ana Forage Crops"
by j. 4. IIyslop.
The wheat wircworm OF the north.
east and middle west is pale yellow,
cylindrical and shiny. When fun
grown it is about one inch i'm length
and about as thick as the lead in Il
pencil. 1t can be readily recognized
by the two dark spots near the hasc
OF the tail. Normally it feeds upon
grass roots and produces no disturb,
nncc In the meadows. When the sod IS
broken. however, the insects gather In
the drill rows or hills and destroy the
seed or eat or the roots OF the plants
which sprout In this way the crop
often is absolutely destroyed.
10 control the wheat wircworm land
intended for corn should be plowcd
Immediately after the first cutting OF
hay, usually early in July. Through
out the remainder of the summer this
land should be cultivated deeply. Bad
be deeply cultivated even ut the risk
OF slightly rsot pruning the corn As
soon as the crop is removed the Grll
Should he very thoroughly titled be.
fore sowing to wheat. Wheat fields
that are not seeded to other crops
should be plowcd as soon as the wheat
is harvested. This Kills the worms by
destroying their food supply and pre-.
venting proper Information. Where cir.
c'imstnnccs permit, iutcrpCsng be.
tween sod and corn such crops as
field peas and buckwhcat. which are
not severely attacked by wircWorm&.
Will materially reduce tho number OF
worms In Tie soil when corn Is
planted.
Corn Wlrcworms damage cereal ana
forage crops in the middle Atlantic
states, the New England states and
the Mississippi valley. They are red
dish brown In color. about one and
one-fourth inches long, cylindrical In
shape and have three slight lobcs or
projections on the tail. These insects
spend considerably longer time In
the soil than the wheat wireworm. In
some cases they have been known to
live In the ground rs long as six years.
On the other hand. they are almost
exclusively confined to poorly drained
and heavy soils. For this reason
heavy lining and thorough tile drain.
ing will undoubtedly prove beneficial
In their control. The thorough culti-
'vation Of waste land, especially along
drainage ditches and creeks during
midsummer, and the deep cultivation
Of crops and falIow land are also rec.
commended.
Meadow wireworms attack corn. po
tatOes. onions. cabbage, radishcs, tur-
nips, horseradish, spinach, sugar bcets
and alfalfa. In the northwest they are
most destructive on irrigated lands and
In the east on poorly drained areas.
They look very much like the dry land
wireworm. but can be easily distin.
gutshed from other varieties by their
forked tails. They do not usually at.
tack beans or peas, and the planting
Of these crops before seeding to corn
would therefore assist In controlling
the pest The thorough tile draining
OF infested fields In eastern areas and
the heavy lining Of the land at the
rate Of about two tons to the acre, to.
gether with deep cultivation during
July and August are other measures
that specialists recommend for their
control.
THE dry land wireworm and the In.