Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1915-06-19

prepared by the United States Depart
ment of Agriculture)
Rotation or alienation of crops is a
simple and efficient method of getting
ride of the "curlew bug" a widespread
pest in corn and rice fields. Don't
plant corn after corn or rice, or rice
after corn" Is a useful maxim to re-
member in localities infested by the
bug.
The curlew bug, which is one of the
so-called "Snout Beetles" or curculios,
about half an inch long, is particularly
fond of swamps and marshes where it
feeds on large-stemmed grasses and
sedges. OF cultivated crops, corn and
rice most closely resemble its natural
food and in consequence the bug is a
menace to these crops in almost every
state in the South and in large Sec
tons of the middle West and South
west as well. 1t cannot live on the
small grains or on such plants as cot
ton or cowpeas. In consequence If
infested fields are planted to oats, rye.
barley, cotton or cowpeas, the curlew
bug disappears at once.
In practice, cotton, cowpeas, or win
ter oats will probably be the best
crops to use for this purpose in the
South. In Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Mis-
souri,, southern Wisconsin and Arkan-
sas, oats, rye. barley or cowpeas. After
a year of one of these crops, the field
can be planted again to corn. If the
pest returns, a similar alienation
should be resorted to once more.
The curlew bug will remain in an
infested cornfield throughout the win
ter and, If the field is planted to corn
again, come out in the spring to feed
upon 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 pune
ture is made a little below the sur
face Of the ground and extends into
the crown Of the plant. II the pune
ture Is made just above the root, the
plant will throw up number of It'll
lers'' and suckers" while the main
stem itself will be without ears and
stalky in appearance In this respect
the work of the curlew bug produces
somewhat the same effect as that of
the Hessian fly on a 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 will also be a dis
torted growth on the stem.
While the damage done by the bee
ties 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 de.
stroyed in this way-generally speak
ing the greatest damage is caused by
the larvae Matching from the eggs, es-
pecially in the East. The grubs of
this insect apparently can live without
difficulty for a considerable length
of time In the stems of plants that are
completely covered by water.
With these insects in full possession
of field. there does not appear TO be
any thoroughly practical and effective
measure for preventing or overcoming
their ravages. which frequently result
In a total loss OF the crop While
IN rnu,ina m tho coil ar hillfoO nm the
young plants with the cultivator might
prevent the beetles themselves from
the stems low enough down
TO cause the plants to sucker or be-
come distorted, this is by no means
assured. We only know that the high
er up the insect punctures the stem
the more likely is the attack to result |
only In the transverse rows of holes |
across the leaves. In any case this |
ridging or killing up would only form |
4 slight protection against the injuri- |
GUS effects of the feeding of the bee
les. 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 |
@ seriously affect them.
Helps for Peach orowths to Control
Insect Pests.
After a grower has pruned intell,
gently. titled and fertllized his orchard
we'll, and irrigated it ii that has been
required. the orchard may be short
lived and the crops financial failures
If he negleets to give proper attention
10 the control Of the insects and dis
eases which habitually occur IN his
region. While il is tgas tina, there arsI
some rather serious peach parasites