The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-01-03
HOW To COMBAT
ALF ALFA FA NEEN|
Agricultural College Issues
Bulletin Filled With In.
formation on Subject.
PEST THREATENS ALL
LUCERN GROWING SECT]0y,
In Salt Lake County Last Yea,
the Insect Worked Great
Loss to Farmers.

Professor e. G. Titus Of the Ay..,
tural college tells the farmers of Ia,
how 10 combat the alfalfa leaf wesy0
q bulletin just Issued.
The bulletin covers years sy,s,
ments with the weevil, which has s..,
ravaging the lucern fields OF the ss,,
and says that the 1910 lnfestatjon ,s,.,,
on the south from the Salt Lake cor,,
line to three miles beloe Provo end a,
the north from CenterVas TO the sons,
ern part OF Weber county. II threats,
10 reach all the alfalfa growluF "a.
tlons OF the state, Professor Titus uyl
The bulletin blames the ravages Of u,
weevil for the advance In the pre. =
hay, The weevil, the report saws, Eors,s
loss Of 30 per cent. or about $500 to,t
ON the first crop In Salt Lake oaunir
About two thirds Of the area Ia sun.
NIT county and one half OF the ara, l.
Davis county were infected entallInr
loss on the first crop ranging from a y
so per cent, the report says. Contrulre
the bulletin says:
InfeStation 1s Severe.
1.-THE Summit county infes,atun !,
slowly spreading, and while the uuiniest.
ed alfalfa districts are somewhat !scl.i-
ed, It will be but a short time before n
reaches Weber county from the east ~
1t is probable that II has been In part
OF Morgan county for TWO years Ginos u
infestatlon this year is quite severe It
Morgan and In the Porieville district
"The acreage at present seriously 1.
tested is about as follows. Salt Lsi.
county, 500 acres (alI OF area)1 '6umsA.
county. 1900 ncres -eighths); d.
Wis county. $500 acres (alD; Utah cos-
ty. 5000 acres Gone third; Tooele eount,
800 acres (one-halD; and Weber couriT.
40 acres,
The weevils have been found tsr
the lower levels Of the valleys iiss
feetJ to the tops OF the dividing na..
tain chains (700o-750o feet).
"It occurs throughout all Of Salt hh
county, including the canyons op.z:s
into the valley. Especially is this tra
OF such canyons as Parley's. Emlgztz.
City Creek, Mill Creek, Big CottoDEH
and Little Cottonwood. The wesy.l ~
been found present where isolated cf1sa
of alfalfa are growing wild thFouEss
the mountain and sagebrush distnu
these regions.
Describes We6v1.
1.-The alfalfa leaf weevIl is small on,
brown snout beetle. about tbEe.ri'
teenths OF an inch long, that Is ashf' |
Ing alfalfa In Utah. 1t is not . surs
species, but has come to Utah ftoa u
rope.
1T feeds on plants belonging 10 u. q
falfa family, injurlng all parts Of u
plant above ground.
"The eggs arc laid in the spins ts
early summer In the stems or on lAs nsas
and leaves. and hatch in about ten dsys
green worms with black head. ThT
never become much more than ons'os1-
ter Of an inch in length when full gr0sa
They feed on and in the leaf BUDS II -
stalks and OH the leaves.
THE larvae have no true legs and a's
the habit OF feeding or resting In sa's
position.
when full grown, about fifty to my
days after Matching. they 30 10 "
ground and spin around them lacs y
coon, In which. in about fourteen a1a
they have turned Into the full glV'-
hard shelled adult. ,.,s
"This adult feeds on the stems ea,a
and buds for several weeks ano ID A.
gust goes into Information for the W'na'
seeking any well sheltered place. ~,
''The insect now occurs In SAT- Ia.
Davis, Weber Morgan, summit ~ msS.stsssi
Utah and Tooele counties. and ,nresu
to eventually reach all our alfaia b'vs
ing regions. 1t spreads rapidly ~ LIEF
adult or beetle stage by flying N W,at IN
and summer and by being ear!isa - IA
articles Shipped from an infested a,S-s. i.S~
and on railroads. In wagons ana su.J ss.,,
biles, travelling through the places "'"'
II occurs.
Tells How to Fight Il.
"It is recommended that ahaia, h
disced in early spring TO stimus@, y
better growth. That the hrst srom'h h.sa
cut when the most Of the eggs ns,S Saf
laid (middle OF May) and then oru'H
the field thoroughly. ,ss as,sf
sheep may be pastnred On .a' slialh
at this time for two weeks, Gil, CHI ru,.IJ 4
then watered and good crop wiz
be assured, !. ,,nture ~ \
gathering machines TO cap,SS'uu oS ruuulli
larvae and beetles have given goodt ,trs ths
when used on the fields al tne INV
insects are most numerous asits
''FTelds should be brush draSs, ~,
after the first crop has been cus, cuuss,ouls " !
"All weeds and rubbish s;,cSss aps [
cleaned from fields. yarus;, p'Is ho lass o.
fence rows so that there VII "a gipis'
portunity for the weevlls 10 u"N
shelter. ,,lorsd TO gus
more than seven OF eight years III