Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1914-03-27
Many Ways to Control ''.+-'..' 2
-% Insect Pests On Farm

n M Insect Pests On Farm
Oregon Agricultural College, Cor
wallis Good farming methods are
necessary to the complete success of
insect control by spraying. Other
very helpful factors are protection of
birds and friendly insects, selection of
resistant strains of plants, and CO.
operation among neighbors.
No matter how carefully spraying
has been done during one season, a
goodly number of pests are bound to
escape destruction. These hold-overs
are necessarily among the most hardy
and prolific of the species, and propa-
cation is very rapid among them.
They take shelter in weed piles, brush
heaps, litter and trash scraps, and
odds and ends of last years crops.
Here they build their nests, deposit
their eggs, and lay by for winter.
Practically every scrap heap about the
farm shelters brood of pests that
will let loose a swarm of destructive
insects as the warm days. of spring
approach. t
knowing this, the careful farmer
will rake these farm wastes and by
products into piles and light huge bon
fires when the pleasant days of au-
tumn have dried out the trash ready
for burning. 5
Myriads Of insects, eggs, nests and
food stores will be destroyed in the
burning This scavenger work will
add immensely to the appearance Of
the farm, will destroy vast stores of
weeds and weed seed, favor good
drainage, 20 that earlier blowing may
be done the following spring, and
wipe out prolific sources of disease
germs. Notwithstanding these many
advantages of cleaning up, the princi-
pal gain is in the reduction of the
propagating force of insect pests 80
that the following seasons crop of
worms, bugs and beetles will be much
smaller than it otherwise would have
been, arrive later and find the crop
stronger to resist them.
ga knowledge of the feeding habits
and the life history Of the pests is es-
sential to successful growing meth
ods," says Professor A. L. Lovett,
assistant entomologist at the college.
with this knowledge, growers may
look ahead and 30 manage their land
and crops as to avoid the most serious
losses. The careful rotation of crops
fall, winter and early spring plowing
clean cultivation; general cleaning up
of roadways, fence corners, and trash
about the field; the best time fol
planting; the proper use of -fertil.
izers; the use of trap crops; and the
frequent examination Of young plants
for insect pests; each in itself is 9
big step in the right direction for the
control of insect pests.
j "The use of insecticides, while es
sential to the highest production Of
truck and garden crops, is not rem
edy for all troubles that. arise from
neglect and abuse. Having the crol
in a clean, thrifty and growing con,
dition is the first STEP"
Crop rotation is often essential be
cause the ground itself becomes in
tested with the insects which devas
tate the crops. This is especially tru,
of insects of the worm and caterpillar
types. Often, by substituting som,
other crop, these pests will either b,
starved out or forced to leave.
Other insects, such as grasshoppers
deposit eggs in holes in the ground il
, early autumn, SO that the next sea
sons crop of pests can be destroyed b.
fall blowing. Where plowing is no
feasible, as in meadow or pasture
good results can be obtained by disk
. ing the field. If the grower know
the time of depositing eggs he ca
often do much to, destroy them b,
, some cultural methods that are at tn
; same time helpful to the crop.
Clean cultivation will destroy tn
weeds which often harbor the pests
offering them shelter through the win
ter and facilities for successful prop
agation Of the young. And clean cul
!, tivation means not only the eradica
!, tion of weeds from among the cult
: waited plants, but also the cleaning u
!. of weed patches in corners, fenc
! rows, waste places and roadways.
Z" With a knowledge of the time tha
! a crop of insects destructive to certai
!. plants is likely to appear, the grove
!, can often plan to plant the crop eithe
late enough to escape the insect il
h vasion entirely, or early enough this
\ the plants will have gained sufficier
q size and strength to resist it. If thi
!. cannot be done it may be proftabl
. to substitute another crop, when th
insects threaten to be unusually q,
tive. At any rate, the grower will b
:. prepared to meet them in the moi
:. effective manner II he knows whe
y they are likely to appear.
! There is, according to Professt
Z Lovett, "A double advantage to
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