The Prescott daily news., 1916-05-01
WIREWORMS DE-
 STUCTIVE PESTS
Different Control Measures Re- commended by the Depart ment of Agriculture For Diff ferent Species.

washing ton, U. t., May 1.-1fue wireworms are reckoned by special ists in the United States Department of Agriculture as among the five worst pests to corn and among the twelve worst pests to wheat and oats. They attack many other crops as well, however, notably potatoes and sugar beets, and are considered one of the two most difficult groups of in- sects to control. To combat them successfully it is essential that the farmer should be able to recognize the variou species and to distinguish them from other insects of somewhat similar appearance. To assist him in doing so the Department of Agricul- ture has just published Farmers Bull letin 725, "Wireworms Destructive to Cereal and Forage Crops" by J. A. Hyslop.
 Wireworms are the young or worm stage of several kinds of hard d-shelled beetles, popularly known as "clck- beetles,' skipping jacks," "snapping beetles," etc. In various parts of the country the name is incorrectly ap- piled to "thousand leggers," web worms and other insects. The true wireworms, though differing greatly in size according to kind, are always elongate, more or less cylindrical, and with a highly polished skin. They have three pairs of short legs near the head end of the body and are usually yellow or reddish brown in color. Several of the most destruc- tive varieties are described in the bulletin already mentioned One or more of these are found in practically every part of the United States and much of the reseeding and replanting that farmers have to do is made ne- cessary by their ravages. As each variety has its own habits, different methods of control must be used for the different groups.
 and Middle West.
 This wireworm is pale yellow, cyl indrical and shiny. When full grown it is about one inch in length and about as thick as the lead in pencil. It can be readily recognized by the dark spots near the base of the tail. Normally it feeds upon grass roots and produces no disturbance in the meadows. When the sod is broken for corn. however, the insects gather in the drill rows or hills and destroy the seed or eat off the roots of the plants which sprout. In this way the crop is often absolutely destroyed. 1t happens frequently, however, that during the first year the worms feed upon the down-turned sod and do not do their greatest harm to the culti vated crop until the second season. They require three years to turn into beetles. In addition to wheat this variety of wireworm feeds upon corn, potato tubers, carrots, turnips, and the underground stems of string beans, cucumbers and cabbage.
 To control the wheat wireworms Hand intended for corn should be plowed immediately after the first cutting of hay, usually early in July. Throughout the remainder of the summer this land should be cultivated deeply. Badly infested land in corn
 
 should also be deeply cultivated even at the risk of slightly root pruning the corn. As soon as the crop is re- moved the field should be very thor oughly titled before sowing to wheat. Wheat fields that are not seeded to other crops should be plowed as soon as the wheat is harvested. This kills the worms by destroying their food supply and preventing proper hiber nation. Where circumstances permit, interposing between sod and corn such crops as field peas and buck wheat, which are not severely at tackled by wireworms, will materially reduce the number of worms in the soil when corn is planted.
 Corn Wireworms in the East and the
 Mississippi Valley.
 Corn wireworms damage cereal and forage crops in the Middle Atlantic States, the New England States, and the Mississippi Valley. They are red dish brown in color, about 1-4 inches long. cylindrical in shape, and have