Imperial Valley press., 1912-10-02

falfa for eight years or moro, especially
where such fields suffer from a short
age of water or frem any other cause
that interferes with a vigorous devel-
opment of the crop. In fields of this
type the loss of the first and second
crops is sometimes complete and the
third crop may be too small to be
profitably handled
The weevil has become a much more
important pest in America than 1t has
ever been in its native home about
the shores of the Mediterranean. This
condition appears to be due to the
fact that the dividing lines between
the different stages in the life history
of the insect is more clearly defined
here than abroad. That is, the bulk
of the eggs hatch all at once here,
while abroad the Matching period is
more prolonged because of the over
tapping of the seasons. In America,
consequently, the attack of the young
insects is like the onslaught of an
army, while abroad the attack is loose
and unorganiZed From the statements
made in the foregoing we may hope
that should the weevil ever become
established in California, its ravages
would not be so severe as in Utah.
Control Measures
Control of the weevil has been sought
in many different ways. Attempts
have been made to burn crush the
larvae and adults and to puddle them
with mud About the only control meas
ures that promise commercial success
are those that have as a basis the
stimulation or forcing of the alfalfa
plants. The best results so far have
been obtained by cultivating the al
falfa after each cutting with spring
tooth harrows with a wire brush at
tachment to the teeth or with a simple
brush harrow. The dust mulch raised
, by the use of either of these two i'm
plements is offensive to the insect, and
the growth of the crop is stimulated
by the conservation of moisture and
| otherwise. So effective has this treat
| ment proved in some instances that
alfalfa fields in badly infested districts
\ have been found to yield better crops
I than they had for years before the
! pest became established in Utah. The
cost of this treatment is comparatively
little-from So to So per acre a year.
Menace to California
From what has been said the chances
| of keeping the pest out of California
] do not appear good. However, there
! is much consolation in the fact that
| we are isolated from the infested dis
| tricts by a series of mountain ranges
/ and deserts, and many years we hope
| may pass before our fields are affected.
The men in charge of the govern
ment work are unanimous in the opin-
| ion that little can be done in the
| way of keeping the pest out of Cali
| fornia by quarantine measures. A
/ tically prohibit the movement of cat
! tie, freight and passenger cars from
or through infested territory to Cali
| fornia. The government experts are
! also Of the opinion that there would
be practically no danger in the admis.
sion of properly prepared alfalfa seed
! The facts so far as learned certainly
! seem to support this opinion.
The movement Of hay from ini-st aj
, territory is probably the most impor.
tant avenue of artificial distribution
! Fortunately This movement is light. rs
! almost all the hay produced in the in
Tested territory is consumed there
Practically no hay from the badly in
tested district has been shipped to Cal
/ ifDrnia, and in the future such ship
ments will be entirely prohibited by tn,
enforcement of quarantine order No. II