Arizona republican., 1911-08-07


 ing considered by the officers and a plan may be devised for geratly less ening the danger. Great areas of land in Imperial, Los Angeles, Kern, Tehama, Sacramento. San Joaquin and other counties now producing mil lions of value in alfalfa might be ruined by the invasion of the pest, and I have written the following warning to that effect:
 There are about 3,000,00o acres of alfalfa in the United States, pro- ducing an average of three tons to the acre annually and valued at ap- proximately s1o0,0OO.O00. This vast industry is threatened seriously by a small weevil (Phytonomus murinus, Fab.,) a native of Europe and an in sect that has already become firmly established in Utah. It first ap- peared in the state in 1904, on the east side of Salt Lake City, and it is merely by chance that the first at tack did not fall upon the magnifi- cent alfalfa fields of California. The 100 square miles in Utah, and last year 1000 tons (estimated) were lost in the first cutting. The loss has been especially severe in the older fields where the vitality of the plants was lowest. There seems to be no hope of exterminating this pest, and as yet no fungoid enemy has attacked the insect as far as known here, and should the insect secure hold in California there is no reason to be- lieve it would be controlled by natur- al enemies of fungus disease.
 "A circular was issued one month ago and sent to all the quarantine guardians of the State. It is now thought advisable to renew this warn- ing, with more definite suggestions, as there is no reason to believe that an arbitrary quarantine order would be protective or possible of enforce ment against so many avenues of in troduction as prevail in this case. We are liable to have an outbreak of this weevil at any time and should guard every point, be vigilant in the inspection of seed by reporting every importation of alfalfa hay, in ad-. vising alfalfa growers to take every precaution against the introduc- ton of the weevil, and to report every infestation that is unusual or threatening. The following sugges- tions are offered:
 l. That all horticultural commits sioners, inspectors, quarantine guard ians and alfalfa growers examine the growing alfalfa crops at every op- portunity to see if this pest can be found.
 2. Discover from what territory your seedsman gets his alfalfa seed, or der no seed from suspected territory and have every lot of seed on sale thoroughly inspected and fumigated.
 3. Warn each scotsman of the dan- ger of ordering Utah seed and secure Ia promise that he purchase no sup plies from suspected territory.
 f. Urge that all alfalfa seed com- ing into the state be fumigated with carbon bisulphid.
 5. Examine the wild growth of al- falfa or similar plants along the rail- way tracks and about the stations. and especially stock cars about the sid ings.
 6. Horticultural and quarantine of ficials should confer with alfalfa growers and request them to report all insect attacks.
 z. Ask the local press. especially in alfalfa districts, to give publicity to the danger of introducing this pest.
 8. Send unknown Insects found in the alfalfa fields to the state insec tary, Sacramento, or to the univer- sity, Berkeley, for identification.