The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-05-10
OFFICIAL HAS DEVISED
A WEEVIL DESTROYER
Once Over the Field Does the
Work. It Is As
serted.

SALT LAKE CITY. Utah. May e-The small
insect known a. the alfalfa weevil which
has caused so much damage 10 alfalfa and
other crops in tab and other States and
whose depredations brought about quar-
antne on Utah agricultural products and
produce by other States last year. will be
entirely stamped out this year If n machine
invented by George j. Reeves. United
States entomologist. proves AS efficient a.
Government officials who have seen IL
believe it will be. The machine is a simple
one and can he manufactured and used AT
small cost. but 1t is believed that it will kill
the alfalfa wceVii on IN entire field by being
used once
Like most Federal officers. especially those
who ara doing good work for the farmers
and wish TO accomplish ii with as little
/ notoriety as possible. Mr. Reeves is modest
regarding his invention. Although he tested
out a crude machine OF this type last year
I in an experimental way and found that
il would probably be good one. even his
closest friends In the nited States Depart
ment of Agriculture did not know of his
invention until recently. when he took his
plans 10 local iron manufacturing COM
pany and made arrangements to test out
the machine "a soon flushed on the
Bennion farm near Taylorsville.
The instrument can be manufactured
for about s.. II consists OF 20 toot iron
pipe with twenty-one small holes bored
in tho top at certain intervals along its
entire length II will be placed on the rear
end of a wagon carrying Rasoiene engine.
pump and tank containing arsenical poison
ing As the wagon Is driven over the field
the pump will force the poison from the
tank into the pipe and IT VIII spray from III"
small holes over the field. covering "a sWata
of twenty feet or more at "a time and eiec-
lively killing all the w"evils,
While MIR. Reeves will not say positively
that his machine viii solve The alfalfa Wee
vii problem that Government men have been
working on in the intermountain country
for many years he admits that he has great
faith in the contrvance and believes that
one application To n field will STAMP ont all
the weevi III 1t. lie says that in the average
, alfalfa field in tab infected with the wecNll
there are about 100 900 of the pests
The machine will not be patented. but If
the results obtained by the experiment.
which Mr.. Reeves and his assistants viii
conduct prove To be sat SfactoIv thu De-
partmcnt OF Agriculture will publish dircc-
tons and plans for it, manufacture and Use
and farmers will be- advised to utilize il 10
rid their fields of the weevil. IL viii also
mean dollars and cents to al producers
of the State. as the quarantincs placed
against Utah agricultural products re-
suit al last year in a heavy loss.
Heretofore the only method OF fighting
the weevil VAS the introduction of foreign
parasites. II vas said that these para
sites would in time destroy the weevi
SO TAR. however. no real results have been
So, ured from their Introduction. and il
would be Il matter of several years brfor.
the weovils were all killed even If the para
sites proved efficient, and tho now machn,
win undoubtedly b" heartily welcomed by
the farmers OF the State.