The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1913-08-28
FARM BUREAU TALKS
BY H. A. IRELAND
Clover Seed Pests.


1t is little late, perhaps, to talk
about the clover seed pests, now that
the crop is nearly all harvested, but
in view Of numerous inquiries received
In regard to insects that seem to be
working on the crop, few brief re-
marks may not be amiss even at this
time.
At least four different insects have
been accused of seriously injuring
clover seed this year, of which two,
at least, are guilty of very little harm
while the other two are doubtless ac-
countable for some damage. The first |
two are thrips. One is slender, dark
winged insect that may be shaken
from clover or alfalfa blossoms. II
appears in number of forms in the
same head, some of them being very
small, pale yellow and wingless, which
are the young of the species, others
showing all stages of development up
to the adult The other is noticeable
only in the larval form, in which il
appears small bright red object, liv-
ing among the separate blossoms at
the center of the head. This has been
mistaken for the clover flower nudge {
which is also red in it's larval form.
The difference between the two by
which they can easily be distinguish !.
ed is that the larva of the nudge is
footless maggot, while the larva of c
the "Trip has feet which may be read r.
lily seen by the use of a email magni- v
flying glass. The clover flower nudge
is very serious pest, but the two q
species Of thrips, while feeding upon o.
the blossoms, do very little damage.
OF the two more harmful insects
the more numerous is common green
aphis which works mainly under the :
small green leaves at the base Of the .
clover head. Like all species of aphis
they are sucking insects, that suck q,
The sap from the heads. When they on
are present in sufficient numbers and ST.
he clover is not thrifty enough to to
resist their attack, the result is very DO
likely TO be a light crop of poorly ma I
ured seed | do not know how much q"
# the shortage Of this years crop is ~ po
lue to this pest, but there is no doubt orr
'ut that they have caused share of ha
/. There Is no practical remedy for poi
hem except to keep the growing crop I
veil supplied with moisture in order the
o provide plenty Of sap for both pat
phis and seed sp'
The fourth pest is the clover seed W., w.
halcis fly, recognized as one Of the tbe
'orst of clover seed pests. It is quite ..
eneraly scattered over the United Pa,
tates, sometimes causing the loss S
large percentage of the crop all
he adult insect is very small, not bra
yer twelfth of an inch, resembling goa
wasp in form. The adult female VI
VS. her eggs in the immature clover ,n,o
ed and the larva develops within aot
e seed, emerging after the seed witt
aches maturity, as the adult dy. enc,
here are two broods each season, the min
cond passing the winter as larvae necl
thin the infested seed. Seed con- croe
ming these larvae, sown early in
e spring, produce poor stands, as the,
e infested seeds will not terminate heof
a large number Of fields examined shn
this county the flies have been they
md, and in one case they seemed tilla
have caused loss of nearly 40 per
1T of the seed. although they are
generally numerous enough to ~, ne
Use such serious losses. ,,,,,h
Probably the best remedy for the veal,
llcis fly is to cut the first crop to b,
hay before any seed natures, leav- Sci
the second crop for seed. This ma'a
trops the first brood of larvae, and shou
prevents the second brood. Anoth- La
means Of retarding the spread of = o
pest is the destruction of chaff ), =
IS which often contain large num- WASH
S of infested seed. The fertilizing For
ne of clover chat makes this meth lustr,
expensive and we hope it will not "a. Il
necessary to resort to il.
nnr