The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1900-05-19
.RAvAGES OF THE: LOUISE
Important Bulletin Issued by Pref. john
son, Of Agricultural College.

An insect known as the pea louse,' is
reported TO he doing great damage 70 the
crop in various parts Of this State.
Entomologist Johnson estimates that
two million of the insects will spring from
one mother pea louise within four weeks if
they are allowed to breed unchecked, and
will quickly destroy the crop He has Just
issued bulletin, in which he gives some
interesting facts concerning the louise and
the destruction wrought by it. Among
other things, he says: cat present you
may see only a louise here and there, but
You must consider what that will mean
three or four weeks later. The death of
one Of these mother insects is The equiya-
lent of 1, II, $50 four weeks later II you
do not believe this, figure it out, allowing
twelve days from birth to Maturity for
each young produced, 1t is this enormous
rate of reproduction that il so fatal about
the time the pea crop is mature. Bear in
mind, then, at all times, and impress
upon your employees the necessity of destroy
ing these stem mothers
"The conditions for the safety of the pea
crop have very much improved during the
last week; the recent rain has stimulated
the plant, and growth is vigorous. Early
peas are just coming into bloom. The lice
are more abundant than last week. They
have bred rapidly, and spread over wide
area. Crimson clover is just coming into
bloom, and we infer that the lice in most
cases when the clover is growing have left
it and concentrated on the pea fields. We
found lice most abundant in fields ad Join
ing clover.
mature is doing her part and now if
the farmer will supplement this good SER
vice by doing his part, we can secure
crop of peas in spite of the lice, but the
grower must not sit down and fold his
arms, believing that nature is going to save
him from the deadly hordes of lice. We
have just two weeks left, in this state, to
save the pea crop. From present condi-
tions the packers will begin about June /,
and if the growers bestir themselves the
lice can be kept from doing serious damage
to the crop.
"Where the peas are planted in rows
we can combat the pest to the best advan-
antage. The cultivator and brush system
is working like charm, and there will be
60, h. L.. g
where this method is adopted and faith
fully carried out. We were in the fields
OF A. G. Salisbury and Brother OF Ridgey,
Md, where this method was given a prac-
tical test. The peas were in rows thirty
inches apart and about ten to twelve inches
in heighth There had been clover on prac-
tically three sides of the field, which had
just been plowed down for corn. The
lice were abundant and the stem mothers,
with clusters of young about them, were
found in nearly every terminal point. A
small boy with white pine brush, cut in
an adjoining wood went ahead of the cul-
tivator, lightly brushing the row back wards
and forwards. Thousands of insects were
Knocked upon the ground and covered up,
never to reappear. We watched the lice
when they were knocked in the adjoining
rows, and practically none Of them crawled
back to the plants before the cultivator re-
turned.
Gone man ought to cultivate four to five
acres day, the only additional expense
being twelve or.tifteen.cents per acre, the