Show RAVAGES Of PESTS Wireworms Work Underground and Are Very Difficult to 2 Control ENEMIES AND COTTON Much May Be Done Lessen Injury by Careful Tillage Drainage and Rota Rotation Rotation Eggs ion Eggs Eggs Usually Laid In Sod Lands LandL j i Prepared by the United States Department Department Depart- Depart ment merit of ot Agriculture i is Although wIreworms work underground and are therefore among the most difficult to control of ot all nIl the Insect foes corn of-corn of com and cotton much may be done to lessen their ravages es esby by careful tillage drainage e and proper proper rotation of at crops These pests are the young oung of ot the common snapping-beetles snapping or or click They are fire yellowish or brownish highly polished and slippery t to the touch and move actively and disappear rapidly when brought to the su surface ace b by the plow or spade The eggs are arc laid In the ground usually In the sod lands and there the young worms orl s are lre hatched Three years are I required for most kinds of wireworms t to get their full growth and become beetles Where sod land Is to be planted to corn the following year ear the land should be plowed Immediately after x 1 a a. S' S d t i C 0 l d bOne b bOne One of the Corn Wireworms Wireworms-a Wireworms Wireworms-a a Adult b b Larva c Last Segment of Larva d Pupa Pupa All All Enlarged the first cutting of ha hay usually early In Tul July and should be cultivated deeply deep deep- J ly hy dulin during the Ule rest of the thc summer When It Is practicable other crops not severely attacked by the wireworms such as ns field pens peas or buckwheat should be bc grown on such land before corn This practice will materially reduce the number of wIreworms In the soil soli Land already In corn which Is badly Infested should be cultivated de deeply ly even at nt the risk of slightly root prun In ing the corn This should be continued as ns- ns lon long as the corn can cnn be cultivated and If wheat Is to follow the Ih Hold ld should be tilled thoroughly as ns soon as the corn crop Is removed d. d In regions where wheat when t land Is seeded seeded seed seed- ed down for hay har any treatment of or Infested Infested infested In In- fields Is precluded Where the then thee n e a b t t R Wheat Wireworm Wireworm-a a Adult b Larva c Side View of Last Segment of Larva Lar Lar- I va va All All Enlarged wheat Is not followed b by seeding to other crops the fields should be plowed as soon as ns the the wheat wheat Is harvested Plowing kills the b by destroying their food supply and preventing them from prep preparing suitable quarters for forthe forthe forthe the winter In the Northwest and northern Middie Middle Mid Mid- dIe dle West the land dry-land wireworm Is sometimes very Injurious The Thc following follow follow- In ing ng methods have been found to be valuable In the eradication of this pest 1 Disk or harrow drag-harrow the summer fallow as soon as ns possible inthe In Inthe Inthe the spring In order to produce a n dust mulch and thereby conserve the acu- acu winter moisture 2 continue the disking as ns often as fiS Is necessary In order to maintain the mulch and ki-ep ki down the wee weeds s 3 plow the summer fallow In July or early In August and Immediately drag 4 plow the stubble stubble stub- stub ble le as fiS soon as the crop Is removed Farmers' Farmers Bulletin 75 contains ad additional addi ll Information on wIreworms and will be mailed free of charge on application application cation to the secretary of agriculture Washington D. D C. C r Ei I I f a 5 N i C w wt j ri t I hrc t t Ill 1 j i i d fe rt as t 1 l t r 1 a 1 za Land Dry-Land Wireworm Wireworm-a a Adult b Larva c Under Surface of Head of Larva Larva Larva Lar Lar- va d Side of Last Segment of Larva Larva Larva-a a b Enlarged c d More En En- |