The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1908-11-13

14t )lI14C1ptt1 luSSCt e10lA4Co w
stored grain in this State are the rice
Weevil and the -Angoumois grain
moth. The former is we'll known be-
ing a blackish beetle with a long
shout or proboscis having four more
or less distinct red spots on the back.
The weevils about the size Of the rice
weevil but of uniform brown colon,
frequently met with in grain bins,
are granary weevils. These granars
weevils during long years Of domestl-
cation have lost the use of their
wings hence are severely handicap
ped in migrating from crib to crib OF
between the crib and field. The rice
weevil has we'll developed wings and
knows how to use them to advantage.
Of the weevils it is, therefore, the
rice weevil that chiefly concerns Us.
The other notorious pest is the
grain moth, which resembles a small
butterfly with wings folded. 1t flies
with the ease of a house fly and like
the rice weevil begins its work Of de-
struction in the field,
the weevils lay their eggs in the
seed where the young larva eats the
starch; when full grown it changes
to the dormant or pupa stage from
which the full grown weevil emer-
ges and works its way out to lay the
eggs for another brood. The time
from egg laying to full grown weevil
requires about six weeks.
The life history of the moth is SIM
liar to that of the weevils, except
} that the eggs are not laid inside OF
! the seed.
The methods that control one will
control the other and as the farmers
i at present looking principally for a
method to control, the pests in corn
already in the crib the carbon bisulp-
hide method is here discussed.
Carbon bisulphide, sometimes call
ed "high life'' is a colorless liquid
with a strong disagreeable odor. 1t
vaporizes rapidly at ordinary tenn
peratures, is highly inflammable and
when ignited is explosive. This may
appear dangerous but it is not if you
keep away fire Of any kind whether
flame, stove, lantern, embers, light
ed pipe, cigar or any other means fol
conveying fire Of any kind. This
chemical is widely used at present,
people observing the cautions given
above. 1t may be purchased at any
drug store or chemical wholesale
house at about 25 cents in pound lots,
while in larger quantities. the price
is about 4 cents per pound. This H.
quid and vapor coming from it is
heavier than air and will sink. There
fore the application is made at the
! top Of the crib and not from below.
Assuming that the crib is moder-
ately tight it is used at the rate Of
one pound to every 100 bushels OF
grain. It may be poured in several
shallow vessels and these set in var
ious places over the top of the grain
or it may be applied by sprinkling it
like water over the surface. In tight
bins the sprinkling method is conven-
lent and effective, but in open, leaky
bins the vessels are recommended.
When the bin is open it should be
made tight if possible. In case OF
log cribs this may be accomplished
by means Of canvas tackled over the
walls. Assuming that~a farmer de-
sires to treat an open crib the follow
ing method is suggested.
Instead of sprinkling the chemical
over the surface or distributing it III
shallow vessels it is poured into large
bottles with narrow necks and these
are buried in the upper surface of the
grain near the middle, leaving then,
uncorked. The liquid will escape
slowly killing the insects nearer the
centre while those near the walls may
escape to the outside of the building.
The writer has frequently witnessed
this when fumigating log cribs. The
liquid should be used at the rate OF
two to three pounds per 100 bushels
and when the insects escape many OF
them may be trapped by corn placed
in different places about the build
ing for this purpose. Later this corl,
may be fumigated like seed grain de-
scribed below.