The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1914-10-08
TO THE FARMERS
OF TENNESSEE
BY CAPT. T. f. PECK,
Commissioner of Agriculture.

SN~N~~~~0~~1~D~ NNN~NJNI~.NN.~~S
Farm Practice in Insect Control.
(BE G. M. Bentley, State Entomologist)
Only within period of few years
has the practical bearing of insects to
the farmer been fully appreciated.
Farm practice in relation to insect
control is not too well understood by
our average farmers yet, and few
suggestions at this time may not be
amiss. If every farmer could realize
that annually he pays tax to insects
of 5000 to $1,000, or in other words,
one-tenth of all his crops goes to feed
these pests; if he also knew that the
major part of this loss is preventable
he would, I'm sure, see the practical
value of insect study.
More emphasis should be laid on
the fact that good farming and insect
control go hand in hand; the one de-
ponds upon the other. In planning a
crop rotation it pays to give due con-
sideration to such selection of crops
that will tend to check, rather than to
encourage, insect attacks.
Crop Rotation-Emphasis is placed
by farm experts upon sowing shall
low rooted plant to follow deep
rooted one, the purpose being to util-
ize the nitrogen gathered by the deep
rooted plants or legumes. This is
practice to be encouraged for its good
agriculture and at the same time tends
to lessen the loss which might result
from insects. To grow the same crop
year after year on the same soil de-
pletes the soil and is not good meth
cd even in sections where the annual
overflow of river may make it possi-
BILE to get good yields. The insects
which feed upon the crop will be in
creased from year to year and eventu-
ally cause a disastrous attack. In a
rotation SOW crops which are not
closely related botanically.
Volunteer Crops-Too great import
ance cannot be placed upon the care
full turning of soil and preventing vol
unteer crops. The writer's attention
has many times been called to serious
Hessian fly outbreaks which could
have been easily prevented by direct
ing care in thorough blowing. Volun-
teer oats, barley, rye and wheat all
furnish ideal sources for harboring
the fly over the winter months.
Fall Plowing-Deep fall blowing
has great value in destroying many
kinds of soil inhabiting insects, as
we'll as furnishing a good seed bed
and conserving soil moisture. The
over-wintering insects in the soil will
be killed in large numbers by this
method.
Cleaning Up Trash-Beneath rem
nants of crops, old vines, stuble, etc,
many insects have the habit of collect
ing and hiding away during cold
weather. To practice clean culture
therefore, will help eliminate such in
sects and also furnish more plant
food for the soil.
Weeds-Before the seeds of weeds
ripen all weeds should be turned I'M
der. Some states have rigid laws in
regard to the destruction of certain
obnoxious weeds. This is well and
good for proper attention directed
along these lines keeps in check the
weeds and also destroys numerous in
sects. Many of the worst pests feed
for a part of their life upon weeds.
The dry weeds stems also furnish win
tering quarters for insects.
Time of Planting or Harvest-With
the Hessian fly it is the aim of the
grower to defer the planting of winter
wheat for few days beyond the Gus
tomary time, so that the plant will
not be large enough to serve the pur-
poses of the fly when it comes out la
ter to lay eggs. On farms where this
procedure is followed carefully and
accurately injury from this pest has
largely been avoided. With other in
sects similar variations in farm prac-
tice have been worked out whenever
the habits of the pest make such a
remedy possible.
Since we cannot always predict
what pests will be prevalent in CIV
en- year, the wisdom and the advantage
of maintaining vigorous and healthy
growth by all practicable means is APP
parent.
The fact is again here emphasized
that whatever constitutes good farm
practice in one regard is apt to help
out as well in controlling insects.
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