The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1904-06-28
TALKS ON INSECT PESTS.
CONTINUED from Page ~

Thompsons, Excelsiors or McKinleys, do not like
to change to the later Duff, Dixie Belle or Profit.
Of necessity, the flower which furnishes the
pollen will mature it's fruit quicker than the flow
er which is pollenized by it. But such are the
facts, and it is simply cup to" the grower of the
perfect boomers. If he will change, and depend
principally upon the imperfect boomers, he will
at once do away with a great deal OF the weevii
difficulty. This we conceive to be one of the
chief means of avoiding injury.
TRAP CROP.
But suppose the grower does not want to
change, or even suppose he does, how will he keep
his pollenizers from being entirely wiped out by
the weevil? To this we answer that the straw
berry is so profuse in its blooming that there will
seldom be difficulty in securing sufficient pollen,
SO far as the weevil is concerned. A far more
important consideration is the question of wet
weather in preventing pollenation.
But why not make use of an early and pro-
fuse bloomer, like the Excelsior, for instance, to
trap the adults when they first emerge in the
spring? We submit this outline of a scheme to
consideration: The field is of Thompsons. Plant
around the outside of that field two or three rows
of Excelsiors or McKinleys. Next to the woods,
if one borders the field, plant at least a half-dozen
rows of Excelsiors. Now when the Excelsiors be-
bin to bud and bloom, the first emerging weevils
will be at once attracted to them. Then, as soon
as the crop of Thompsons is fully set, add more
straw to the Excelsiors and burn them, vines,
buds and al. The burning may be more effective
by running over the rows with a mower first. Thus
we would use the early-blooming Excelsior as a
-tNp to Kill the insects and so protectwfe >Thomp=
sons. The same plan may be foloweR .hhehe main
crop is Dixie Belle with Thompson as a ferti-
lizer.
BURNING OVER FIELDS.
1t is here that we are convinced that we have
one of the best opportunities to deal with this
pest. In the field of Thompson in which our ex-
~periments were conducted, picking ceased about
May Goth to 25th, yet the insects we're found in
all stages, but the eggs, on June 18th. If that
field had been burned over as soon as the picking
was over, countless hundreds would have been de-
stroyed which have now already escaped to the
woods from which they will emerge next spring.
= There are two principal objections to burning
over the fields: CD The scarcity of pine straw
which must be left in the field to make burning
possible, and, CD the liability of injury to the
vines. Fortunately, both these objections can be
met in large measure. Mr.. Milton Switzerland.
of Wallace, informs me that he finds that the
burning "has a decidedly beneficial effect, if not
too severe" 1t remains, then, to burn so as not
to be too severe, and at the sam time to save
the pine straw as much as possible. To meet
these difficulties, the straw may be raked off from
every second row, the rest scattered and then
burned, thus saving half the straw and reducing
the severity of the burning; but the straw that is
left must be evenly scattered so that the entire
surface shall be sufficiently heated to kill the in
sects. Many lavae will be in the buds on the
ground, and the burning must at least roast them,
if not actually consume the buds. We are sure