Evening journal., 1915-06-16
SIX LEGGED WEEVIL
THREATENS alfalfa
Government Expert Tells
Farmers How They Can
Get Rid of Pest
TRACTORS CUT
FARM EXPENSES
BY The United Press.

BY The United Press.
WASHINGTON, June 16.-There is
now a six-legged weevil threatening
alfalfa in the intermountain state
Of the West. introduced at a single
spot near Salt Lake City ten years
ago it has slowly spread throughout
the northern half of Utah including
three Of the most productive counties
and has taken a foothold in Idaho
and Wyoming near the Utah line
The weevil, after spending the win
ter in the fields about the roots Of
the plants. deposit large num-
bers of pale yellow eggs in cavities
made in the stems with their beaks.
The little green worms" which hatch
from these during spring and early
summer, cluster upon the fresh
shoots of alfalfa and feed. becoming
most numerous about June 1. They
destroy much of the first crop. injure
the quality of what remains and COM
pei early cutting TO prevent total
loss. The actual damage to the first
crop is not far from so per cent. of
its value. Upon the cutting of the
first crop, the larvae gather upon
the bit of food which is offered by the
fresh shoots and destroy them as
fast as they appear. This condition
! lasts until the normal harvest time
OF the second crop so that il is a
total loss. The damage to the first
two crops usually amounts to about
one-half the annual yield
valuable method for preventing
the injury 10 the second crop is
brush dragging the stubhle after the
removal of the first cutting. This
was devised by the Utah Experiment
Station in cooperation with the far
mers. It was improved afterward. in
actual operation. by the adoption of
a weighted spike-toothed harrow with
several layers of woven wire stock
fencing underneath, instead of the
old fashioned brush drag.
The treatment was widely adopted
as means of crushing the insects.
and also as means of exposing them
10 the rays of the sun and to the
choking action Of the dust. The Bu-
reau of Entomology has proved that
neither the mechanical crushing nor
the direct rays of the sun contribute
much to the effectiveness of the dust
treatment, and that most of fhe in
sects die long before they're smoth-
cred by the dust. The essential fac
tor in killing the weevil is the heat
absorbed by the soil from the suns
rays.
To kill the weevif, the surface of
the field to be treated must be dry.
free from clods. cracks and vegetas
tion. To ges best results. however.
the sky must be clear and the day
warm. Under those conditions when
the soil reaches the necessary tenn
perature of 100 degrees all stages of
the insect are killed in less than two
minutes. The second crop of alfalfa
is then free to grow The effective
ness of this treatment, however. is
directly proportional to the thorough
ness with which the above condi-
tions are complied with. If the soil
is not in good condition it must be
cultivated before dragging. The great
objection to this method of fighting
the weevil is that il requires much
cultivation of the alfalfa field at the
busy haying season.
The lew-priced farm tractor will
soon have a permanent place on the
average farm, according TO A. p.
Yerkes. writing for the Office Of Farm
Management of the Department of
Agriculture. He sees great possibili-
ties of economy in the tractor
Eighteen months ago the tractor
was a comparatively large and. ex-
pensive outfit. with no place, perhaps.
in the operation of the medium-siz-
ed farm Now. however. the type of
tractor most in demand by the far
mer is a small low-priced outfit, cap
able of pulling from two 10 four
pillow bottoms, and with belt capacity
sufficient to operate any of the ma
chimes csmmonly used on the average
farm
These small tractors are Of simpler
construction than the large ones.
Most of them have only pne drive
wheel and usually only one speed for
ward and reverse. thus eliminating
considerable gearing, including the
/ differential gears. At the same time
they permit the hitching of two
bottom gang plCw directly behind the
center of draft of the machine. some
thing which was impossible TO ac-
complish with a wide tractor hav-
ing two drive wheels without caus-
ing side drafts or running the trac-
tor partly on the plowed land
who does This has q share In the re-