The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1880-07-22
Damage Of the Clover. Root Borer and
Of the Clover.Seed Midge.

The recent surprising and unaccount-
able failures of clover either to produce
hay or seed have been explained by
the presence of two very dangerous in
sects. On the University Farm we have
been obliged to plow up all our clover
ground-some eighteen acres-because
Of its unproductiveness occasioned by
the borer. When the injuries which
the clover has suffered first became
apparent this spring it was generally
supposed that 1t had been winter-killed; |;
but upon q careful examination of the
plant it appears that the borer Injuries
the crown of the plant which will often
still retain life enough in the roots to
make slight start in the spring, but
will then wither down to the ground.
The habits of the borer have been as
certained by Prof. Riley to be about as
follows: ~ E-.I
During the summer the insect has
been found in all stages, as larva, pupa
and adult, and it hibernates in any of
these stages, though the adults are gen.
orally most numerous at the time of
frost. In the early spring months the
insects issue from the ground and pair.
The female then bores into the crown
of the clover plant and there deposits
several eggs which hatch out in about
one week. At first the young feed in
but soon burrow down into the roots
where they change from the larva to
the pupa state.
On the farm the clover of last year s
seeding has not been so badly injured
as that of older growth, and the expert
ence of the farmers of this country will
lead them to plow up all clover after
the first year. So far, this would seem
to be the only alternative to escape the
ravages of the insect. We have dis
covered the pest at work not only upon
the common clover but also upon Lu-
cerne-Medicago sativa-and Black
Medick-Medicago lupulina. The in
jury caused by the clover-seed midge
is of quite another character from that
of the borer, and is especially evident
at the present time. The clover in
both the first and second crop fails to
blossom, although the clover heads are
hard, as though full of seed, and have
an appearance as though about to bios
som. When the separate flowers are
opened, they are found to contain the
yellow Larvae of the midge. The midge
seems to stunt the growth of the plant,
thus materially injuring it for hay,
which lacks the fine aroma it should
possess.
As they also attack the second cror
of clover it would appear that they are
two-brooded. The insect affects clover
just as the wheat midge or weevil af.
fects wheat, and the former bids fair to
be quite as dangerous as the latter.
The habits of the insect are quite sim.
imilar to those of the wheat midge,
as ascertained by Prof. Riley. The
larv:e, when grown, fall from the clover
heads and hide in the leaves and loose
soil where they form a small cocoon, in
which they assume the pupa state. The
flies begin to issue in September and
later. and during the following spring
In this locality no clover seed has beer
grown for the last three or four years
As yet, there has been no remedy dis
covered, and it is only to be hoped thai
their natural enemies will multiply
faster than they.-Prof j. p. Roberts
Of Cornell University, in Rural Ne,l
Yorker.