The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1915-03-03
SHEEP DESTROY INSECT PESTS.
Useless Vegetation Turned Into Nut
ton and Wool.

tation along country roadsides. and
that the insects may be destroyed and
the underground may be turned into
valuable mutton and wool. are facts
not generally realized by farmers.
The departments specialist in charge
Of cereal and forage-insect investiga-
tions recommends the pasturing OF a
flock of sheep in these places during
measure for destroying great num-
bers that might later in the spring
spread to and breed in adjoining fields
Of grain. Where weeds are outside of
a fence, or where no crop is growing
in the field, pasturing sheep in sum-
mer will, of course, keep down the
fall crop Of insect-harboring vegeta-
tion.
The amount of land covered by USE
less matted vegetation growing along
ditch banks, fences, and roads is Of no
small extent in America. This land,
as rule, can not be burned over be-
cause Of the danger to fences. Be-
sides. much of the common blue grass
thriving in such localities Is always
too green to burn and serves to pro-
tnct the thick mulch Of dead grass
that accumulates beneath from year
to year and forms an ideal refuge for
all manner Of pests. A small flock Of
sheep. given the range of fields and
roads at this season Of the year and
where there are no growing crops,
will dispose Of nearly all useless vege-
tation. Only little grain need be add
ed to fatten them. If the farmer docs
not wish to keep the sheep permanent
ly, he may often purchase feeders"
in carload lots at the large stockyards
when they are just in condition to be
fattened and later dispose Of them.
Over the prairie country sheep
will eat off grass and shoots Of larger
brush and plants, leaving the gr ound
so bare Of protection that insects
either will not congregate there or
gain protection there after the pas.
turing Is done. In the East, where
trees bushes, and brambles enter into
consideration, IL this brush is cleaned
off in spring the sheep will in late fall
dispose OF the young growth that may
push up through the summer BY
herding the sheep along the roadside
and properly shifting them about ac-
cOrding to condition in the fields, all
Of this waste ground can be made to
yield a return to the owner. and Incl
dentally add to the value of the farm.
On account Of their light weight.
sheep can be pastured in fields when
the ground would be too wet for
heavier animals. Their small feet,
entomologists find. are also more ef-
fectual in destroying insects on the
surface of the ground than the hoofs
OF larger animals.
Method Should Lessen Depredations
of Many Pests.
The list Of dangerous pests that
winter along neglected roadside mar
gins is long and formidable. The
chinch bug, the spring grain aphis,
or green bug" and the clover and
alfalfa seed chalcis fly have all been
found by investigators wintering in
great numbers in such undergrowth
Under certain favorable conditions in
the fall the Hessian fly also breeds
freely in quack grass, and in Canada
one specialist has traced the western
grass-stem sawfy directly from this
gras to the wheat fields. This sawhy
does considerable damage to the
wheat in the Dakotas. Young stalk
borers (Papapiema nitela) were no.
ticed in very young oats as early as
1884 by the departments specialist
under conditions indicating that the
parent moths had spent the winter in
the matted grass along the border OF
the fields.
The departments investigator has
successfully put the winter sheep
grazing plan. into practice with some
miles of roadside and even more OF
fence margins. Many successful farm
ers have also tried it with profit, but
they have not always realized that in
addition to the destruction Of the USE
less vegetation they We're destroying
insect pests that would have become
positively dangerous later on.
Overdrfats In State Banks.
/. NJ. Maulden Of Pickens, State
bank examiner, has sent out a circular
letter to all the State banks in South