Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1908-10-07
COOPERATION IS WANTED.
Farm Pests that Require Foresight
for Their Control.


Upon taking charge of the Division
of Entomology at the State Expert
ment Station at Clemson the writer
desires to become as familiar as pos
sible with the insect pests that men
ace the agricultural crops OF South
Carolina. 1t is the aim Of this office
to be as useful as possible to the
farmers, truck growers and fruit
growers all over the State. We are
aware that the losses occasioned by
insect pests are enormous every year.
In order to prevent such losses 1t Is
necessary for this division and the
citizens Of the State-especially the
agricultural workers--to come as
near together, and work as closely
in harmony as possible.
In the regular correspondence with
farmers a large number Of letters
contain complaints about serious in
juries caused by wire worms and
white grubs. These two problems
confront the farmer every spring and
summer. AS there is no specific that
can be recommended against these
pests, we must depend on general
methods Of farm practice. good
system of farm practice is infinitely
better than all the sprays and nos
trums so often recommended: While
his course Of procedure for he pur-
pose of maintaining Soil fertility or
regaining it when lost, he rarely asks
himself the question, What course
must | pursue to avoid insect injury
to the crop | am intending to plant?
The complaints about injurious In
sects reach us when the injury Is
actually being done and when often
no practicable remedy or preventa-
tive can be recommended.
In order that this division may
be in the best possible position to
help the farmers of the State to
solve this and other insect problems
il Is necessary that the entomologist
be kept informed as to the farm op-
erations on individual farms. In
order to bring this out every farmer
and every citizen Of South Carolina
who grows plants Of any kind Is
invited to become a correspondent of
this division. Every farmer is in
vited to read this article and comply
with the request Of this division, and
we have no doubt that we can be
Of material service to such CORES
pondents during next season in help
ing them to avoid losses to their
crops. caused by insects or other
animals.
Write to this division saying that
you wish to belong to the special
group Of correspondents. We will
then send you blanks, requesting you
to draw sketch OF your farm, or
chard or plantation, showing what
crops are now growing and where
You intend to plant the next crop.
We will also send n blank circular
containing questions which we want
you to answer and circular ex-
planning our purposes. Only one
farm sketch is necessary, and this
will be carefully filed at this office.
On the blanks sent you we expect to
receive report Of the condition of
your crops once every month. When
such report reaches this Office it
will receive careful attention. Your
farm sketch will be then referred to
and in this way we know what you
are doing at a given time and what
you intend to do. 1t will enable us
to warn you at the proper time
against certain farm operations that
will encourage insect pests and at
the end Of the season We are in posi-
tion to recommend what could best
be done in order to eradicate white
grubS, wire worms, cutwOrmS, chinch
bugs, corn hill bugs, corn ear worms,
cotton boil worms and other pests.
advantage Of this writing to us an
other spring regarding these pests,
we will be obliged to state that we
are at a great disadvantage in rec
ommending anything that Is of i'm
mediate practical value. To mako
these monthly reports requires little
time on your part and the cost Of
sending twelve such reports a year
is twenty-four cents.
These monthly suggestions will be
supplemented by newspaper articles
and Experiment Station bulletins
which will be sent to all correspon-
dents promptly when issued.
Many insects can generally be CON
trolled by some method at any time
when they occur in destructive num-
ber. All citizens are invited to cor
respond with the division when there
is any trouble affecting their staple
crops, orchards or shade trees. BY
such close cooperation 1t will fol-
low that we have less insect trouble
in the future, with better crops and
more intelligent farm practice.
Address: Division Of Entomology
Agricultural Experiment Station.
Clemson College, South Carolina.