The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1911-07-21
ABOUT THE Gill gUo.
How Il Damages ccrn--paper By
Professor Sarborr

Professor sanborn.
K am sending you some bugs which
ara damaPing corn. Az you see, they
have a pFobogcls or beak with which
they bore into the stalk of corn Just
below the ton ot the ground ard while
they % NOT always kill the corn they
damage ii nntTi II geens To make no
growth They are worse where the
ground was In wheat last year
wound Ike 90 know something about
these bngs 81 there IS any way 10
guard agalnac fhem.--P T. Roberts
Kay Comfy Oklahoma.
This office has resolved several
communications from the east and
central parts of the state relative 70
this same b!ll bug The insecta which
y0u gent are commonly known az the
maize biil bugs. This gr0lp oi bugs
al known as corn bill bugs OF anOut
beetles, are of various sizes and col
ors. They Average from about one
fourth 10 nearly threefourths of an
inch in length and from about "a
eighth 10 fourth ineh in breadth.
Most ~ them are dali BLACK having
surface marked with gt0aal piis and
narrow grooves They are thick
bodied. more Or less round ana have
long. thiek snnuta CT bills which curve
downward TO mthe front or head end
TAis sneut is part of the head Itself,
aud always bears al the end a palE of
small Jaws or teeth wAlch are used
Al punctaring the Young corn stalls
( WTth tAis pro5Oscis they often kill
gouny corr n the spr.ng by eating
I INTO the stem of the pant near the
base, and bv deFOgring the inner tis-
sue On tae inside Of the stalk. Tue
stalks infested by them are e9nspie-
aorgly marked By the presence Of cir
enlar holes whieh run eroas#iBe IN
the Ieaf blades Each row Of THESE
uunetures IS the work of single
/ Beetle boring lgto the stalk when the
/ leaf was rolled ug in ihe young plant
The lngurv in single field varies
I FROM very uftle damage 20 70 almost
Z complete destruction of the crop
qhe maize Hf.i aug Iays it- agg II
fhe Young corn plants and rhe Young
beetles develop there remaining pro.
iecfed hy tha corn stalk throughout
4 fhe entire winter near f1e crown OF
I the latter In combating fhis pest 10
"a necessarg. therefore % Flow Tire
/ stalks including tie roots deeply De-
meath the surface 81 the ground tn the
4 early fail or pile them ~, root and
!, an. and burn them 81 the eAflY spring
4 Many of the other species breed in
I root bulbs; some " them ia Timothy
\ ana others fri swamp iaaes I'm taicE
i root bulbs 81 the common reed, club
] rnch and other COARSE sedges aud
\ swamp grasses
\ These bugs al raEs the winter IN
the adult stage alternating near the
I surface Of tte soil In the roots men.
I Toned or Tn the crowns of bunch grass
n hav fields We have taken many
I eDeclmans from bunch ggaag at the
eollege during the early spring when
4 searching fer the inseets that might
4 be alternating ander anch conditions.
7 We conclude, therefore that the
spriue burning Of hay fields and PISS.
I tBre lands where possible wiil control
. tniq bng the same as the ordinary
rbineh bag. Fields sh0pid be burned,
however. when the air ia calm In or.
der 10 have the greatest effect.
\ FlaIds .ginz in river valleys or al
4 Iacent 10 river valleys are often SUD
iaot 10 BIZ bug infeciatton Oh account
\ 8f the breeding grounds further np
u the VALLEY Overglows carrying de-
bris down. bring the hibernating oF
/ adult bugs d8Nn % fields where faeS
ara often left by the recession of the
floods. Such infesiat.ans cannot rs
controlled except by tae elimination
M the breeding places further up tAe
rivers Il 81 plain, therefore, that tnia
nost cannot DE controlled until infest
81 farms and the breeding places Of
Ire bugs are brought eii under GU
tisasson I'm order 10 eliminate tAe
I sedges
In fields that are uow Infected tae
only resource as regards prevention
u and remedy is 30 rep.2at late in the
I seaz0n THE Illinois station advises
I that it is fairly safe 10 plant after the
middle Of juno OF course THIS IS TOO
late f8r mating q n9gd corn cron and
where the infestat.on Is severe in tal-
state T would advise some ether crof
! ench as cotton. We are especially well
favored as regards location ~ roia
( fgon of crops for the purpose OF insect
control. Cotton is one ~ the crops
4 not affected by this beetle. and WAeFf
\ the earlV corn crop s damaged -
serious extent, cotton may be satel
/ planted 80 far as the insect s. con
/ rerned-C = Eanborn Dept % 2n
tonolory. Oklahoma A. & 4 College
1 stiilEater.