The Greeley tribune., 1911-05-18
WEEV|L NEEDS
TO Be WATCHED

of agriculture to the irrigation farm
ers of the west, for It IS discovered
that this foremost product OF tht
irrigated country is confronted Will
pest which viii, unless its spreaC
is checked, ruin the alfalfa indus
try and destroy the profits OF those
who look to this crop for theil
maintenance.
The alfalfa weeyil is stranger &c
the United States. and first made Its
appearance in Utah in 1904 in the
vicinity of Salt Lake City. Whence
it came or how, no one knows, bu'
lit is there, and from that one spot
has now spread over an immense
district in Utah. of which Salt Lake
is the center Up to the present
time the alfalfa weevil has not Sc
cured a foothold in other states, but
so fast is il spreading and so rapidly
does the pest propagate that the de-
partment is fearful the alfalfa
fields of the entire west may soon
become infested, unless exceptional
precautions are taken TO prevent
| its spread.
Unfortunately there is no effec-
tive known means of exterminating
this pest, or OF checking its migra-
ton. The alfalfa weevil came either
from Europe, western Asia or
northern Africa In those countries
it has wrought untold havoc in al
falfa fields, and the scientists of
those lands have never been able to
devise a means of successfully fight
| ing this insect.
When the alfalfa weevil became
| firmly established in Utah, and was
recognized for what 1t is, the state
experimental station called upon the
! United States department of agricul-
ture for aid in studying the weevil,
in the hopes OF deyising some means
for bringing about its extermina
tion. Several years of effort have
produced nothing that is effective.
and for that account the department
| is distributing a pamphlet on the
alfalfa weeyil (bureau of entomo
logy, circular No. 1879, which con-
tains a description OF the weevil, its
habits and habitat, and concludes
with a warning to farmers generally
throughout the west to be on the
lookout TO fight again the pest if it
puts in appearance in their fields.
The alfalfa weevil that threatens
the alfalfa industry OF the whole
west, is a diminutive beetle, usually
Of tpr in
length. and when freshly emerged
from the cocoon is of plain brown
color. In few days this brown be-
comes much darker, mixed with
black and gray hairs. which give it
a spotted or mottled appearance.
Gradually these hairs are rubbed
off, so that in spring the beetle ap-
pears almost entirely black. with
small gray spots upon it.
The insect winters in the beetle
stage, seeking shelter either in the
crowns of alfalfa plants. close TO the
surface of the ground, or under
leaves, matted grass and rubbish
along ditch banks or hay stacks. and
is often times found in barns where
the hay is kept over winter. With
the coming of spring 20 beetles
come forth and attack he young
growth of alfalfa. The female
beetles deposit their eggs down be-
tween the leaves of the new growth,
or as is generally the rule. puncture
the fresh step, and deposit their egg
in the aperture. The rate at which
the alfalfa beetle propagates can be
understood when it is said that one
plant, found to contain 1877 pune
lures, was estimated to hold 1900
eggs. If these hatched and half of
and so per cent of the later passed
the winter. this one plant might in
year give rise to 10000 beetles.
| The eggs hatch in about ten days,
and the young white worms 1.-THE
weevil in its most destructive stage)
make their way to the leaves, eat
ing holes therein, and gradually as
suming a decidedly green color.
When full grown they are about
quarter OF an inch long, with
white stripe along the back. BY at
tacking the young leaves and the
crown of the plant. the weevil pre-
vents its growth, and badly infest-
ed field OF alfalfa will attain no
greater height than six inches, too
short to NOW. The bulletin de-
scribes in great detail the ravages
Of the weevil throughout the sum-
mer months.
ut will not be at all surprising II
by another spring the alfalfa weevil
is found in Wyoming, southern
Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Colorado
and perhaps California" says the
bulletin. The beetles have fire.
ouently been observed on cars on
railway trains passing in and out of
Salt Lake, and the report states
they travel in Pullmans as readily