The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1901-05-08
Three Corn Root Pests.

"a AA-NAN4ANfI
Prof Forbes spoke on a few insects
that injure corn. He said that the sub
iect Of insect injury to corn was so
great that he would not attempt to
cover II, but would confine his remarks
70 few insects, one Of them at least
little known. In part he said: Often.
IN the spring, you will notice IN the
corn fields patches that do not seem to
be doing well. They seem In fact to
be going back" Sometimes II is not
an insect at all that is doing the dam
age. but some fungous disease Ere
quentiy, however. this injury is done
BY an Insect Of which we knew nothing
aa a corn pest tin last year. Il is the
Colastis root worm. 1t was found by
reason Of letter that came to Us from
Ar. Warner farmer near Griggsville.
! sent an assistant 10 that place and
found that the corn fields near that
place were In very bad shape. due to
some insects that ere attacking the
roots OF the corn plants there. They
we're present as beetles. chrysalides
ana grubs. You can tell this grub from
The white grub by the fact that the
white grub has a yellow head. while
this grub has head that Is white. like
the rest Of his body. These grubs do
not burrow into the corn root as do
the white grubs. but eat on the surface
Of the roots. We have known this
insect before as the strawberry root
worm. Il was found that this infested
land had been in Timothy the year be-
fore. This led my assistant to look in
to the timothy fields near there. He
found In them this worm IN large
Quantities. The insect gets into the
root Of the timothy and makes a bulb
ous swelling and ruins the plant In
which II works He also attacks clover
where Il Is mixed with timothy. II is
probable that this insect lives on the
roots OF great variety Of plants. for
Il be eats strawberry roots, clover
roots, corn roots and timothy roots. it
is likely that he eats great many
Others.
Q.-What is the remedy
Al do not know. We have not yet
got 20 that Il Is safe 70 say that
there are no remedies for insect In
jurles to corn. A preventive measure
Is the only thing we can consider.
After an attack has once begun there
are no remedies that you can apply
that VIII be profitable
o. How would Il DO 10 rotate wheat
and oaisg
Ave DO not think that The insect
attacks wheat and oats. but we 90 not
know yet We have that to end out
This insect llYes in the ground and has
little power 81 locomotion. So far as
We know the injury Is found only in
Pike county The corn Is injured On
TOP Of the hills, but on TIE low grounds
vas not affected, This Insect was frat
known as a grape vine beetle. because
it lnfests and eats the grape leaf
O. How do sou fight il In straw
berry cultureg
A. Change the location of the straw
berry plantation.
We win noW consider TIE corn root
worm-th the northern corn root worm
fou nnd the eggs OF this insect In old
cornhelds In the fail-nowhere else. AZ
soon as the gruhs hatch. they bore into
the large riots. a grub spends his life
IN the root. and as the burrow pro-
gresses the root generally dies. unless
the weather is very wet When II an I
ishes up one root u goes into another.
There may be twenty grubs IN a single /
hiil OF corn. This continues ull the /
eorn ia In the silk. when the insect 4
deserts the root OF the corn and goes I
into the chrysalls stage. when II looks /
like a grain of dirty rice. Wien the /
little cocoon breaks up ont comes the
beetle dull yellow Ia color. which later
becomes a grass green. and begins %
climb up the stalk Of corn. At the time
the beetles come out o. the ground the
pollen Is falling and ls collecting in
the points Of the leaves and from this
pollen the beetles get their nrst meal
Then they so up and cat the pollen al
the top Of the stalk After that they
feed on the heads OF smart weed and
other Ike plants. and also OF clover.
.ill the middle Of October. when those
that have left the corn field come back
70 H. They pair. more eggs are laid.
lad the beetles perish.
The effect on the corn plant Of the
root worm differs II attacked very
roung the corn plant often dies. But
4 the attack is not severe. the injury
vii be most seen when a hard wind
,omes and blows over tbs corn. which
viii then not have power enough in
Is roots 10 right Itself The roots viii
COX ae II they had rotted away. In
ield badly infested it viii be noticed
hat the corn natures less slowly than
ither corn and VIII still be green when
be stalks In most fields are drying up.
From this green corn we get much Of
he ao-called "soft corn" which some
ines reduces our corn yield from io
p 15 per cent.
Now, you know what should be done