Payette enterprise. (Payette, Canyon Co., Idaho) 1909-1935, 1910-06-16
ALFALFA NOW
IN DANGER
Hundreds of Acres in Utah Destroyed
BY Weevii and Pest Seems to Be
spresdins-May Affect Northwest.

Spreadine-May Affect Northwest.
A ride through the southern par
of Salt Lake county, reveals many o
the alfalfa fields swept, as by fire
from the ravages of the alfalfa wee
vii.
This new pest, whose depredationi
already approach hundreds of thous
ands of dollars in value, was prob
ably introduced from France or Ger
many in hay used for the packing OF
goods.
According to DR.. Ball OF the Utah
Experiment Station, attention was
first called to the presence of TINS
pest about two years ago, and inFes'
tigation at that time showed that II
has already become seriously iniurl-
Gus in a considerable district south
of Salt Lake and then spreading in
all directions.
/ From the testimony OF the allailA
raisers, it has apparently only been
observed for a year or go previous
to that time, but no doubt has been
in he country for a number of years
as an insect pest of this kind. spreads
very slowly for the first few years.
AS it gradually increases in num-
bers and becomes distributed along
ighways, railroads, and car lines
S spread becomes much more rapid
and it is likely to appear in, districts
at considerable distances from the
original point of infestation. This
is apparently what is happening at
the present time.
The investigations of Prof. Titus
this spring shows that the insect Is
now thoroughly distributed over Salt
Lake county and is rapidly spreading
northward around the point of the
mountain into Davis county. In the
same way it has passed the Jordan
Narrows and has a firm foothold ID
the upper end of Utah valley, with
a serious but isolated outbreak in
Summit county.
At this time of the year the alfal-
ia where badly injured is very short
and stunted, and all of the upper
leaves are white where the insects
have eaten off the green parts and
left nothing but the membrane. Thou
sands of acres in Salt Lake valley, |
as you look across them, now have
a silvery white appearance instead
of the rich green that an alfalfa
field should have.
The Government at Washington |
has sent Prof Webster to investigate |
the situation. He finds that this |
weevil now imperils the entire al
falfa industries the greatest wealth
producer on the farms of hte West !
and that the Government should be !
asked to cooperate with this state |
in trying to control or to exterminate |
the pest
We learn from the Logan Repub- |
lican that Prof Titus will devote |
practically his entire time to the |
study of this insect during the sum-
mer. Prof. Webster made arrange
ments to have Mr. Ainslie, his as
sistant, spend his time here also. and |
the experiment station will place |
still another man In the field. It |
was expected that a special appropri- |
alton would be made by the state for !
the carrying on of this work, but
it was found impossible on legal |
grounds, so the entire burden will |
fall upon the experiment station.
The entomolpgists recommend that |
a close watch be kept by alfalfa |
growers in every section of the
state to see that this pest does not
break out in their fields. 1t ia a
small, hard shelled, grayish brown |
bug, about one-third to one-half the |
size of pea, quite active during |
warm weather. The adult insect |
lives over winter and commences to
feed on the alfalfa as soon as it
starts in the spring. AS soon as it |
warns up 1t lays eggs which hatch /
out into little yellow of green worms.
which are larger in the middle and |
curved. These feed on the |
tips of the alfalfa, stunning it and |
its growth. When full |
grown, they drop to the ground and |
spin a little white gauzy cocoon
among the leaves at the base of the
nj