Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1900-06-14
THE GREEN PEA LOUISE.

Delaware College Station Bulletin, No. 8.
Within the past week the Station
entomologist has visited most of .the,l
pea growing localities in Kent and Sus-
sex counties to ascertain what injury is
being done the crop by destructive
Green Pea Louise.
Seaford, Bridgeville, Harrington,
Milford and FELTON, were visited. and
conditions at all OF these points were
found to be much the same. Hardly
louise is TO be found upon the early
| peas, almost all of which are of the
variety Alaska. These are now being
cut and as rule are all that could be-
| desired. In few instances, mostly
owing to late planting. the dry weather
of early May prevented a full crop.
In one or two fields of early peas
planted in eight inch drills the lice
were found generally distributed early
| in the season and are now SO thick as.
| to threaten the maturity of the CROP.
Here, as in Maryland, tie lice seem
\ to be much worse upon drilled peas,
but fortunately Delaware growers have
planted almost entirely in lows 20 to
30 inches apart.
| In Maryland we have seen several
fields of early peas both drilled and in
rows, which will be of little or no
value. Why the difference In the
destructiveness of this pest in these
two sections is decidedly mystery.
The varieties Blue Beauty, Admiral
and French Gamer were all found to
be we'll infested with the lice, each
terminal containing a small cluster OF
old lice and their young, though in
some instances the French Gamers
were almost free from lice.
The Blue Beauty and Admiral have
the pods already we'll formed, and
though we would advise thoroughly
brushing them, they probably will not
he injured as seriously as the latter
varieties.
The prospect for the late crop Of
! Advance and Horsford's Market Garden
is, however, much more discouraging.
These are just in blossom, and covering
blossoms and young pods are such
masses of green lice as tic almost GER
tainly prevent the formation of the peas
unless they can be soon destroyed. II q
crop of late peas is TO be secured they
will need immediate and constant at
tention,
The entomologist has carefully ex-
.. amined vines in all localities visited to
! ascertain whether the lice were being
J destroyed to any extent by their insect
enemies or disease. The wet, cold
I weather has undoubtedly prevented the
usually rapid development of the plant
. life, for but few more were found in
: certain fields than week ago. Though
: the damp weather has also furnished
! the most favorable conditions for tbs
! development of the fungous disease,
which often destroys plaques of plan
lice, no diseased lice have been OBJ
served. Internal hymenopterous para
\ sites were observed to be rather com
mon two weeks ago in the lice Will,
= still on crimson clover, but none hay,
u been observed on peas.
). The Surplus flies, whose larvae en-
!, the pea lice 80 ravenously, are yer,
! busy among the infested vines, sound
n ing like honey bees as they buzz arount
a here and there, depositing their eggs
n one to three or four of which are foun,
( in every colony Of lice, but PRACTICAL,
: no Larvae were found and it will be full,
week before the eggs hatch and til
young maggots are large enough to con
sumo the lice in any numbers.
or other predaceous insects compare
10 lively lew have been found, thoug
Lace winged Flies, whose Larvae ais
" consume the lice, are becoming commo
" in some fields, where they are layin
their eggs.
j. Certainly, no material decrease in th
Of numbers of the lice will be effected b
ne their natural enemies. What, then, ca
ne the grower do?
II, As yet no successful apparatus hl
u been constructed to mechanically co
n lect or destroy the Pea lice. Severi
ty kinds of spraying mixtures have bee
Ii tried in this State and Maryland, b,
is, none have been sufficiently satisfaction
~; to warrant their recommendation, an
90 even were their use advised, mo
growers are unprovided with the nece
at sary spray pump.
'st The entomoloeist has consulted Wit
Prof. W. q. johnson, State Entomol
iat gist of Maryland, and Messrs. Scott al
Tor Chisholm of Baltimore, and sever
ia' Maryland grocers and Gamers, as We
as those of Delaware, and all are agre,
'ge that the only practicable means
OF destroying the lice yet devised IS that
lat bi ushing. This will be impossit
'as upon drilled peas, but fortunately mo
OF are planted in rows. This has heen al
er- is being pratioed in several places wi
considerable SUCCESS. Boys or men q
of provided with small pine branches wi
VS.: which they brush the vines, th
lay readily knocking the larger part Of t
IN, lice between the rows. They are close
.; followed by cultivator or harro
ray which throws many -lico under I
Id earth, others are SO thoroughly busted
re- to close their breathing pores and th
ale kill them, while Others are litera
OF roasted alive by contact with the
was earth. The brushing and cultivati
on should be done late in forenoon q
!, afternoon, when the soil is dry and HI
he 1t 10 essential that the harrow foil
TN the brushes closely lest the lice era
,ol- back to the plants. When the soil
IN damp OF when the vines are too lai
the narrowing is impracticable.
yea that case, the same end may be acco
ing plished by drawing shallow pan
tween the rows, and brushing the !
ion luto it. These pans may be made
9th cbeap galvanized iron and shonid
u. ABOUT the width of the row, about
feet long and three or four inches de
Each should be filled to the depth
three-quarters to one inch with wa
and Kerosene The lice are quic
killed upon contact with the keros,
Car and there is no chance Of their crawl
back to the plants, SO that this metl
ght is really much more satisfactory IL
1ear following the brushes by harro
urs- Either procedure is cheap, simple /
UNI effective, il diligently pursued.
'cRs In many instances, badly -infeo
'ouy fields OF late peas were visited VIII
owners were unaware that they "
over infested with lice We would stron
i6r 8 advise all urOWars tn malxe n care