Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1909-06-23
Pest Believed to Have Been Brought
From Europe in Packing straw
Says Prof. Merrill.

. a-a r 40 =
According to statements made by
Prof. Lewis. A. Merrill to the Deseret
News Ibis morning. the damage to the
.lucern crop in Utah by the imported
5wceV;l has already reached the sum of
100000 and unless there Is a. united
effort on the part of the farmers of
Salt Lake valley to eradicate the pest
it will take foothold throughout the
state and the damage and loss will be
startling.
.'Tlle danger to the alfalfa crop is not
from a lucern maggot, but from the al
falfa lcaf-Weevil, an imported insect,
declared Prof Merrill. Prof, E. G..
Titus, entomologist of the Utah expert.
ment station, has made an exhaustive.
study of the iraSages of this insect.
During the past two or three years he
has spent considerable time in the field,
and is t. present located on Il largo
farm at 1aylorsville, where he Is max
ing an exhaustive study of the insect
and determining the best methods of
its control. 1t Is a peculiar fact that
while this insect has done considerable
damage to the lucern fields Of European
countries, it, is unknown in the United
States outside of tho Salt Lake valley.
1T is somewhat Of "a mystery as to how
this pest could have been introduced
here for the first time, but IT is probable
that In the straw of packing of immi-
grants from Europe. the Weeyil made.
It's entrance.
1900 ACRBs AFFECTED.
are some 10000 acres OF lucern.
in the Salt Lake valley, and a careful
estimate made by Prof. Titus places the
r1.,t Nsift fpvt hS
1T. is estimated that the damage to
the first crop will aggregate about $780,
900. For some days now he has been
sin8the field urging the farmers to cut,
their first crop, since this will prevent
the insect from coming to full stage of
maturity. IL the insects do not mature.
they, will not lay their eggs and there
will not be such serious consequences
to the second crop. If however, the
fields are allowed to stand these in
sects VIII, come to full maturity, lay
their eggs, and the second crop Will be
Just as badly affected.
Another serious phase of the ques-s
ton Is that the sweet clover Is also Il
host plant for the insect, and conse-
quently it will be propagated along
the fence line, the ditch banks and lin
the roads.
SOLE REMEDY.
.9,he only remedy SO far as known
is to cut these host plants as the i'll
sect does not thrive on plants after
they become dry The luceln field
should then be disced and narrowed, as
covering the insect with Il layer of dirt
Is fatal to it Besides the dlscing and
narrowing Of the alfalfa is very bene-
fhclal to the crop. since it permits the
entrance of air into the soil, and di-5
yides the plant in such a way as to
materially stimulate the growth. The
second crop should also be cut early.
and this can also be disced and har-
rowed in tho same way.
unless the farmers Of Salt Lake val
ley unitein a strong effort to check The
iraLvages of this Insect and exter1ninatas
it In this county, 1t Will eventually
spread to other counties or the state,
iniltil fnallyiit will gain foothold in all
of the alfalfa growing districts of this
country. Lucern hay should not be
shipped out OF the county. 4
PAST EXPERIENCES.
1.-THE experience of Texas with the
cotton boll-weevil should be an object
lesson to Utah farmers. From Texas,
this latter pest spread to other states.
until now it Is found in practically all
of the cotton growing states Of the
Union.
EVERY alfalfa field in Salt Lake
county should be cut Immediately,
ditch banks and road sides should be
cleaned, and every effort made to con-
fine the ravages OF the insect to as
limited a territory as possible. Prof.
Titus has prerared a bulletin on this
Insect. under the direction of the ex-
tension department OF the Agricultural
college of Utah. This bulletin viii be
mailed to the farmers OF Salt Lake
county within the next few days, or 1t
can be had upon application to me
as director Of the extension work.