Weekly journal-miner., 1912-09-04
Woa vsiAay's Dsiiy.)

mologist. who arrived from Phoe- nix. Tuesday. coming for the speci- hc purpose of investigating the trouble some bugs are causing the farming communities adjacent to this city. and to visit the Prescott dry farm station, gave the follow ing timely interview yesterday as to his observations covering Wed ncsday and Thursday in various local sections. He leaves today for points in the northern part of the state on a similar mission to that which brought him to this city. He is also engaged in organizing an inspection service under the a. mended crop-pest law which went into effect August 6. Speaking of the bug nuisance. he says:
 Insects are uncommonly abun- dant near Prescott this year. As is usually the case under these circumstances the natural enemies of the injurious species thrives also, snd l have noted many interesting beneficial insects industriously help ing the farmers without eharging for their services. As rule they do not even receive thanks for their services, because they are no, rec ognized. Sometimes. but not of ten. insects belonging to beneficial groups become corrupted in their habits Many farmers around this city have had the leaves of their beans eaten quite badly. by a bright yellow worm, which anally develops into a winged lady b-g. This is called. very approximately. the lady bug. All of its rela- tives in this country arc beneficial and their appetites arc fully satis- fed by devouring the plant lice or aphis pests which attack nearly all cultivated plants. We arc so ac- customed to protecting these bene- ficial lady bugs that it seems like bad ethics for an cntomologist to say, Swat the Lady Bug" The in- furious species have never been found feeding on anything but the bean vine. In some parts of the state the first plantings of beans have been completely destroyed, but al this elevation these pests do not appear to be as active as at eleva- lions of 1000 and 5000 feet.
 "The remedy is to spray the vines with arscnide of zinc or ar senate of lead. Paris green Is liable to injure the foliage. of the bean vine. Arscnidc of lead Is new inscs:,,cide put up in powdered form. II is stronger than a'scnatc e. lead. mixes readily with water, and does not injure the most ten- der plants Arsenate of lead Is fre- aucntly troublesome to mix with water. The California Spray Chem ical Company of Watsonville. Cali fu.nia, sells arscnide of zinc for about twenty cents a pound. Pro- bably ther insectcide manufacturers will have this on the market next season.
 "ln spraying beans a light spray ing of the under surfaces of the leaves with a strong mixture is Recommended. One ounce of arse hide of zinc in one or one and one half gallons of water will give good results.
 l The striped potato beetle IS null tiplying rapidly and this insect needs immediate attention in every potato field visited. A large black blister beetle is also attacking the potato vines. but poison applied for one will destroy both. Paris green at the rate of one pound to lOO-gallons of water is the spray recommended for potatoes. These vines are more hardy than beans and Paris green is preferred to the arsenicaI poisons in this case. It Is best, however to use an equal amount of air slacked lime with each lot of Paris green. This lime combines with certain injurious elements in Paris green and makes it much less inju. rious to the plants,
 Squash vines should be watched for the common squaslf bug or pumpkin bug Hundreds of these may sometime be killed by hand in a few minutes. A method employ ed in the east consists in distribu ting pieces of board or shingles or the ground among the vines where the bugs are thickcst. During tn, night the bugs will crawl under in, boards and may be killed early 1T the morning before the sun warm, '