Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1891-04-23
FARMER AND PLANTER.
PEA AND BEAN wEEvILs.
How They are Produced and How to Re-
press the Pests.

press the Pests.
Every year these little pests annoy
many of us by inha biting our peas and
beans, leaving little but the shell when
spring comes. From this time OF the
year till they leave the cavities their
presence can be told by the little dark
spot or spots on the seed. If the trans
lucent skin covering this spot is broken
the beetle will be found beneath.
The pea weevil is about two-tenths
of an inch long and more than half as
broad. 1t is dark brown, with several
white spots on the elytra and a more
prominent one on the back part of the
thorax. The wing covers do not extend
over the back part of the abdomen, and
on this uncovered portion is plainly
shown T-shaped white mark.
The bean weevil is much smaller and
of lighter dull color. 1t is not as
common yet as the one that feeds on
the pea, but is annually becoming
more widely distributed and more nu-
merous.
In Europe there are species of wee
wills, almost like ours that work on the
pea and bean there. We have but the
one Species bruchus pisi, that works on
the pea. Bruchus absoletus is our most
destructive species on the barn, but
while in Arkansas this season, another
| species, b. vipunctata, was found to be
| quite numerous. Seldom more than
| 10 in
while often as high as ten OF fifteen
may be found in single bean. Neither
the beans nor peas attacked by these
weevis often have the germ destroyed
so that the seed will not terminate and
grow, but the vitality of the plant from
such seed is greatly impaired. The
seed should not be used in planting if
possible.
Some may wonder how these insects
got into the peas and beans, and if so
perhaps something of their life and his
tory may be interesting. As soon as
the pods begin to formin the spring, the
females fasten their yellowish colored
eggs to the outside surface of the pod
by gummy secretion. The little white
larvae that hatch from these eggs eat
through the pod into the growing seed
within and continue to grow with it,
They are so small that the opening soon
closes after them and we can see no
trace thereafter. Neither can they be
easily detected in the young peas or
beans and we eat goodly number of
them in this way. The larvae when
mature pupate in the cell formed by
them, and then change to the image
ready to emerge the following spring
and again start the same cycle.
If everybody would be very careful
and not plant buggy beans and peas,
and would destroy all these beetles be-
fore they escape from the seeds, we
would soon be free from such attack
This probably will never be, but each
one can do much to keep them from his
own plants. The beetles will soon be
gin to escape, especially if kept in q
moderately-warm room, and should be
looked after that they do not escape
The seeds should at least be put in q
tight sack or can from which the weevils
can not escape before some remedy is
used to destroy them.
The remedy that seems to be mos
common in use is to immense the peas
in hot water for a short time till the
weevils are scalded. This will not in
iure the termination Some advocate
placing in the oven and heating till the
| object iS ACCOMPLISHED
One lady, who gave her experience OF
this subject in the country Gentleman
short time ago, resOrted to desperate
means and poured coal oil over a sacl
of beans till all was thoroughly satu
rated. She found the beans thus treated
grew as well as those no treated. 1t il
needless to say that it killed the
weevils. A small quantity of bisul
phide of carbon poured into tight boz
containing the infected peas or bean
will also make quick work with thu
weevils. BY the use of this, the seet
can not possibly be injured, but car,
must be taken in using this liquid tina
it is far from any light or fire, as ga
escaping from it is easily ignited unde
such circumstances. This is probably tn,
most desirable remedy of any wher
there are large quantities of the seed
to be treated. Do not let the weevil
escape whatever remedy is used.-Rura
World.