The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1915-06-25
prepared by the United States Depart /
ment OF Agriculture)

Root OF Corn, In Chamber Eaten
prepared by the United States Depart
ment OF Agriculture)
Rotation or alienation of crops is
simple and efficient method Of getting
ride of the "curlew bug" widespread
pest in corn and rice fields. Don't
plant corn after corn or rice, or rice
after corn" Is useful maxim to re-
member in localities infested by the
bug.
The curIew bug, which Is one of the
so-calied "Snout Beetles" or curculios,
about half an inch long, is particularly
fond of swamps and marshes where 1t
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
tions 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 IL
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
year of one of these crops, the field
can be planted again to corn. If the
pest returns, 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 it's 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 it's food or
| deposits it's eggs. Usually the pune
| ture is made 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 young wheat
plant in the fall. If 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
throwing up the soil or killing up the
| young plants with the cultivator might
! prevent the beetles themselves from
puncturing 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 ms 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
! slight protection against the injuri
GUS effects of the feeding of the bee
ties. Once the larvae have started &c
burrow their way downward in the
stem there is no way whereby they
can be reached by any measure likely
| to seriously affect them
Helps for Peach crowths to contro
Insect Pests.
After grower has pruned intelli
gently, titled and fertilized his orchart
we'll, and irrigated it II that has beef
required. the orchard may be shor
lived and the crops financial failures
II he neglects to give proper attention
to the control of the insects and dis
eases which habitually occur IN hi
region. While 1t is true that there ar
some rather serious peach parasite