The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-01-11
AIIFAI.FA-SEED PEST
 RESEMBLES GNAT BUT IS
 MUCH MORE DANGEROUS
Harvesting Severely Infested Crops, Cleaning Fence and Ditch Banks, and Winter Cultivation Are Control Methods Recommended.

clover CT alfalfa seeds, dro9n une NiulI Coast to the northern limits of the Limited States, according to the Unit ed States Department of AgrHcu4ture's specialist who has personally seen the widespread devastation of this pest. By harvesting severely infested, crops, by cleaning fence lines and ditch banks, and by winter cultivation the grower of alfalfa seed may help to control tllis a1lSect. A new Farmers Bulletin, C1Vo. 636) entitled 'The ChRl- cis-FIy tn Alfalfa Seed" gives the de- tails of these methods of control and nlaX be had tree of charge on appltca- ton to the Department.
 The cIlatcfs-f1y under the microscope Is g. formidable looking insect but when seen in the field 1t is frequently confused with the snat These pests may be seen in great numbers flying over aIfaIfa-seed shocks and swarIn- ing. over tho sickle bar when the alfa1- ia. is being cut. The eggs are so small as to be invisible to the naked eye and arc deposited through the soft. green seed pods directly into the soft seeds when the pods are about ha1f-grown Immediately upon becoming a@hy, the insect eats its way out through the ahells of the infested seeds, then through the green pods Large DOT tions of the seeds are hollowed out in this manner. when they are still green and growing
 The infested seeds which still con tain the living larvae of the insect may be recognized by their abnormal shape and usually by the dull brown color. Some of the infested seeds, however, retain theAr natr1ral color. but they always lack the glossy appearance of normal seeds. The extent to which alfalfa seed is damaged by the fly is not generally apparent, owing to the it's destructive work Is accomplished within the growing seeds The all fa1fa4seed grower can only estimate the percentage of his crop destroy ed by opening a large number of the seed pods and observing the infested seeds.
 Harvesting Severely In6esDed Crops.
 An alfalfa field is frequently found with such a severe dnfestaHon by cha.hcis-hi that the grower considers it of sufficient value to be harvested and simply drives in a herd of cows to posture the crop With regard to the control of the chaIcis-fiy for the protection of bliture seed production, this is Q costly mistake. Ohservat- tfons show that many of the pods burst open, while others are trarnpled to the ground. Here great numbers of infested seeds offer favorable com dftions for the hfbernation of the chalcis-fiy Larvae. These, as mature flies, will infest the seed crops the fol- lowing spring Under such cdrcun- stances the crop should be moved, re- moved from the field, and stacked. It may then be used as rough fodder; and if the remaining straw is burned in early spring the hTberuating larvae will be destroyed.
 Cleaning Fence Lines and Ditch Banks
 The following facts emphasize the importance of cutting the alfalfa along ditch banks and fence lines. as well as in the fields.
 l. The earliest seed pods are Hound to develop on the isolated and vigor- ous growing plants found in such places.
 2. The earliest pods have an espec- ialiy lange percentage of the seeds in fested with chalcis-f1y larvae g. Tine cf1aIcis-dy larvae are able to pass completely through the first gem eration in the earliest pods before the EregIlar seed fields are sufficiently ad- vanced for ov1position.
 This cutting should be done with the harvesting of each hay crop before the seed crop is growns
 It is sometimes necessary to have two or more irrigation ditches running parallel making 1t inpracticasbIe to cut the alfalfa between them In such cases it is economy to fence the dftcf1es and use this land as a small summer pasture, thus preventing the develop nnent of alfalfa seed pods and the EchaIcis7 flies
 Winter Cultivation. In the process of harvesting the seed crop many pods contain1nz infested seeds fall to the ground Here bhey remain alIEtdI the following sprfng when the Gldbernatins insects emerge A thorough cultivation with an alfalfa cultfvator, at some time late in the fall or in early winter, will stdf1cietntIy cover such pods and will prevent the emergence of most of the adults when the warm spring weather arrives.
 Destroying the Screenings
 Afber the alfalfa is bhrasfhed the
 great mass of cre-nings which is left l frequently contains large numbers of
 seeds infested with hibernatfng larvae. Eff the cfaH together with the screen ings. is placed in a. compost pile for three or foru months, so that will
 become heated and decay. most of the insect life will be desctroyed. Un- less it is possible to treat the screen l ings in this manner they should be 1 burned before the growing season
 opens in the spring.
 Burning Fence Lines
 and Cheek Ridges.
 Many Of the alfalfa seed pods check
 ridges and fence lines may be de- l stroyed by burning off the weeds and
 alfalfa This should be done either in tn efa1l or early spring. Planting Clean Seeds. | In purchasing alfalfa. seed, farmers l should insist upon having eed which
 has been we'll cleaned after thrashtng and should never plant the uncleaned
 product in new fields. In many To- calities much of the seed is sold both l by farmers and by local dealers vita l out first having been cleaned. The product of such seed when harvested I from the late crops frequentIyl con tains a 10 to Is per cent. infestation l of hibernatfng chalcis-dy larvae. The I planting of this uncleaned seed fre- I quently gives the chalcis-f1y a, start in I the new field, as we'll as resulting in Fl a poor stand.
 Cutting the Seed Crop.
 It is not an uncommon practice for