El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1915-04-08
CURLEN BUG IS
MENACE TOC0RN
Rotation, OF Attenuation of
Crops Is Easiest Way
to Eliminate It.

Rotation or alienation OF crops is
simple and efficient method Of getting
rid of the "curlew bug, a wide spread
pest in corn and rice fields Don't
plant corn after corn or rice or rice
after corn rs useful maxim TO re-
member in localities infested by the
bug. according 10 the United states de-
partment Of agriculture
The curlew bug. which is one Of the
socalled -snOut beetles OF curculios,
about half an inch long, is particularly
feeds on large stemmed grasses and
sedEes. Of cultivated crops. corn and
rice most closely resemble its natural
food. and in consequence the bug is a
state in the south and I'm large sections
of the middle west and southwest as
well. II cannot live on Une small grains
or on such plants as cotton or COW peas
In consequence, If infested fields are
planted TO oats. rye. barley cotton. or
cowpeas the curlew bug disappears at
In practice the best crops to use for
this purpose in Arizona and New Mexico
would be oats. rye. barley, or cOWpeas-
After. a year of one of these crops the
field can be planted again to corn II
the pest returns. a similar alienation
should be resorted to once more.
Works on Corn in Spring.
The curleW bug viii remain in an in
Tested cOnfield throughout the winter
and IL the field is planted 10 corn again
the young corn plants By means Of
its long snOut at the end Of which are
situated the mouth and jaws, the beetle
punctures the stem of the plant and
thus either secures its food or DEPOSITS
its eggs Usually the punCture is made.
a little below the surface Of the ground
and extends into the crown Of the plant
il the puncture IS made just above the
root, the plant will throw up number
Of "tillers" and -suckers.r while the
main stem itself viii be without ears
and-stalky in appearance. In this re-
sDect the work OF the Curlew bug pro-
duces the same effect as that Of the
Hessian fly on young wheat plant
in the fall II the puncture is made
higher up on the stem. food is obtained
from the folded leaves above the crown.
When these leaves finally push forth,
the effect Of the puncture made by the
beetles snOut is revealed by rows Of
holes across the leaves. Frequently
there viii also be distorted growth on
the stem
While the damage done by the beetles
IN feeding or laying their eggs is in
many cases doubtless severe-if the
corn plants are very young at the time
Of attack they are probably destroyed
in this Way-geuerauy spreading the
greatest damage is caused by the
larvae Matching from the eggs The
grubs Of the insect apparently can live
without difficulty for a considerable
length Of time i'm the stems of plants
that are completely covered by water
With these insects in full possession
Of q field. there does not appear to be
any thoroughly practical and effective
measure for preventing or overcoming
their ravaEes. which frequently result
in total loss OF the crop. While throw
ing up the soil or killing up the young
plants with the cultivauOr might pre-
vent the beetles themselves from pune
turing the stems low enough down to
cause the plants to sucker or become
distorted, this is by no means assured.
once the larvae have started to bUrrow
their way downward in the stem there
Is no way whereby they can be reached
BY any measure likely TO seriously af-