The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1900-06-08
Observations on the Pea Louise
in Frederick County.
MesSrs. Editors:
Communicated.

an account OF my OOStT\dl loilS Ill
your county relative to the de
structive green pea louise. | take
pleasure in making the following
brief report:
Visited as many fields as was
possible today, May 26), and on
the whole find the condition of
the peas not unlike those in the
other pea growing areas of this
State. The lice are abundant in
most fields, and with the prevail
ing dry weather, fear the late
peas in Frederick county will Suf-
fer severely from the attacks of
these insects. The very early
peas are practically made. and
the invasion of lice cannot destroy
the crop, although it will reduce
the yield third to one. half.
The largest fields | examined
belong to the MeSSrS. Goode
Bros. of the Louis NcMurray
Packing Company. These gen
tlemen have $50 acres on their
farms about one half of which
were planted very early on bot
tom land, and are looking unus-
ually fine. The pods are we'll
formed and contain from > to q
well developed peas. The lice
are quite abundant upon them,
but they will be cut before the
pest can do serious damage.
In company with MeSSrS. Ross
and Staley, of the Monocacy
Valley Canning Company. | Wis
tied fields belonging to c. w.
Ross, ST., II Il. Witter, c. y.
Fout and others. In all cases
the pest is very numerous, com
pletelycovering the terminal ofthe
plants in many instances. 1t
may be of interest to note that
from 500 to LOCO acres Of peas
are grown near Frederick. I'M
fortunately, for the growers,
nearly all of these are planted
broadcast, making it practically
impossible to check the multiple
cation of the insect by any me-
chanical device. If they were
in rows the plants could be
brushed and cultivated, and a
large percentage of the lice de-
stroyed, thus saving fully one
half or more Of the crop that will
be destroyed. In the future |
would advise farmers to plant in
rows about 30 inches apart, using
about the same amount of peas
% to 3 bushelS) per acre.
The lice are present in great
numbers i'll clover, their natural
food plant. AS the clover ma
lures, and soon after the early
| peas are cut, myriads of these
pests concentrate their attacks
upon the late peas. and, unless,
some unforeseen condition arises
in the meantime, the late crop
will be cut very short or entirely
ruined.
Nature is doing her part, as the
Syr huS larvae and eggs are
everywhere present. Lady bee
ties are also actively at work, es-
pecially in clover, devouring the
flee, but these natural reducing
agents cannot accomplish much
where man himself cannot supple,
ment their efforts by striking a
blow.
The pea crop throughout the
State will be short. The louise is
everywhere present, and some
fields along tide. water have been
abandoned on account of the
pest. The condition for their flu
ture is more hopeful, however,
as we have found this season that
the brush and cultiyatOr method
can be used to good advantage,
even where the pest is in the
greatest numbers. Many fields
on the Eastern Shore and in
Southern Maryland have been
saved by brushing and cultivat-
ing and fair crop will be har-
vested. In the 600 acre pea field
of G. ii. Pearson, Of Baltimore,
in st. Mary's County, 10 men are
at work daily, brushing and cul-
tivating, and very good crop is
now assured. Last year on this
same farm $50 acres were lost.
from the fact that the peas were
broadcast and the lice could not
be destroyed.
Packers will begin canning
peas about May 81 on the Eastern
Shore and Southern Maryland.
The pack in Frederick County
will be ready June 2nd, but as
this is on Saturday it is likely
that the Gamers will not begin OPP
erationS until June i
WILLIS G. JOHNSON,
State Entomologist.
F Frederick CITY MARKETS