The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1908-04-02
WHEAT AND OATS CROPS
APPARENTLY UNINJURED
Board of Agriculture in
Bulletin Tells Of
Investigation

The oklahoma state board Of agrl-
culture, recognizing that one OF its
duties is to keep the formers informed
upon such subjects Of Interest as 1t Is
able to investigate. issues the Follow
ing statement relative TO the reported
presence of the green bug which
caused such destruction to wheat and
oats last season. and also the acreage
of wheat and oats for the year l907-0S.
No assessment has yet been made la
tine new counties on the east side of
the state. and we are therefore wholly
dependent upon the statistics OF the
United States department of agricul
tire for the acreage and production Of
grain m tine nea -ste
According 90 40 department there
were sOwn 10 whe IN the fall of 9OG
l.54i.36S acres. The raiages Of Tie
green bpg' LETT only 959,0O0 acres 20
be harvested in the spring of 1907. and
the average yield was reduced from
fourteen bnshels per acre in 1906 to
In 1907, making a total crop of s.
3id00 bushels IN 1907, against 21.-
554O50 bushels in 1906, the aerenge
harvested in the spring of 1906 having
wheat In the fail of 1907 was estimated
az l.3TS.S00, or q decrease of 3 per
Get from that OF the previous year
The acreage of oats IN the new state
Ia 1907 was estimated by the fedef !
department at 63S.OO0, but their final
figures show only $4,000 acres har-
vested the average yield per acre was
10 bushels against 343 IN 1906 the
total production being 3009 600 bush
els IN 1907 against 5,754 1903 In 1906.
No estimate has yet been made OF the
acreage Of oats for this spring
Green Bug and Hsssian Fly
Under date OF February Z MIR. g. p.
Pronty Of Enid. secretary of the Ok.
lahoma Grain Dealers association. ls
sued to members Of his association a
bulletin In which he said
Prompted by the reports received
at this office from different portiong
OF Oklahoma to the effect that Ia,
green bug ami Heasian Fly We're here
and doing a great deal OF damage 10
the growing wheat issued on Jan
uary 80 a letter of inquiry covering
this subject as well as asking for the
per cent OF the last wheat and corn
crop yet TO be moved IL Is very evi
dent from the answers received thai
Northern Oklahoma IS infested with
these insects more especially north
eastern Oklahoma. as more damage Is
reported from that section than from
any other Our open winter hes beer
conducive to enormous propagation
and. instead of diminishing as we ha,
hoped. causes our fearful anticipation
OF the spring to Increase
The appearance of plant lice com
I.t.
was reported to this office from Ponci
City. In the southern portion of Ka'
county, on the 2Sth of February in
letter accompanied by specimens TAX
en- from wheat fields IN that vicinity
On the 9TH OF March a representative
of this office. accompanied by a spe
cial agent OF the United States depart
ment OF agriculture, visited Ponce
city and made a personal eXamina
fion of wheat fields In that vicinity
Both these gentlemen had practical Oh
servation of the work of the gree
bug IN Oklahoma last year and hay
made some study OF their life histor
and characteristics.
The plant lice We're found in consi'
cradle numbers In the fields of Olde
wheat IN some fields of later plan
ing none could be found. while in Oh
ers only a few specimens appeared. /
those fields where the insects wer
most numerous. all ages were presen
A number of blades of grain weI
found containing an adult bug With
family OF six to eight young ones, ev
dently lust born In other cases th
adult was just leaving her young fan
fly A considerable percentage Of III
winged forms 0ere also seen
No Appreeiable Damage.
No appreciable damage TO the gra'
was yet apparent Some outer tips
blades were tinged with brown. whiS
may have been caused by the extra
lion OF the juices by the bug or IL ma
have been due TO the bite OF fros
None OF the brown spots SO readi
seen IN fields heavily infested la
spring could be seen and it was e'
dent that in no place had the inse
become numerous enough TO take 81
ficient juice 10 cause the death OF q
plant Practically all this damage VI
accomplished after the 18th OF Mar
by bugs that had migrated there fro
farther south The bnes present the
now have evidently hibernated on
winter as Mr. G. ~ Hall who ;
companied the representatives Of ti
office. reports that his first obser'
tioN ~ them was las December last
A comparison 0f weather conditio
with those uf ) year ago show Ye
practical difference In precipitation
favor Of the present season. the ra
fan and moisture from snow bel
much ln excess of last winter "a
seems 10 have brought about mu
healthier condition Of wheat this g