Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1916-08-12
SEED CROP IN DANGER
Reports From Many Fields Indicate
That Aphis is Getting Hold

great success again this year il
doomed. The blossoms are drop
ping off but the seed does not seen
to be forming, condition that was
puzzllng to everyone, and the onl.
theory advanced that seemed at AL
plausible was that the little blossoms
did not burst open and therefore
could not fertilize. Some farmers
are known to have drug their fields
with heavy planks in an effort tc
burst open the blossoms, and it is
said that IN some cases this treat.
ment has proved effective. But so
far as the fields Immediately sur.
rounding Mountain Home is concern.
ed, the following story taken from
the Sunday Statesman solves the
problem for it said that there are
thousands of little black bugs in
every field:
Unless some means is found with
which to fight the aphis now work
ing in the clover fields of this state,
the seed production from that crop
In Idaho may be cut consdera Bile
this season. To date it is not vet
known how much harm the pest has
done, but it has been admitted by
o. ID. Center, director of the agricul-
tural extension department of the
state university that there is some
cause fer alarm among thief armres
in the southern counties.
Not content with feeding on the
juicy blossoms of the growing clover.
the aphls has in certain districts
migrated to alfalfa fields for a sec
ond course, but it is said that the
damage to the alfalfa is less serious
than to the clover
George Reeves, entomologist In the
employ of the United States govern
ment, has returned east after spend
ing a week in Idaho studying the
apis with view of cooperating with
the agricultural department in the
determination of the pest. 1t is said
that Reeves was baffled by the
strange plant louise and has been un-
able to offer a solution for its rid
ance.
Reeves has been succeeded by Al
fred c. Burrill of Salt Lake, entomo-
logist elect to the staff of instruc-
tors in the state university. Burril
has been in the employ of the governs
ment, but leaves the federal service
to take up work in this state. He
has specialized on the aphis
Burril arrived in Boise Thursday
and Friday made his first excursion
into the clover fields of Ada and
Canyon counties to study the plant
louise. Leaving here next week, he
probably will cover much of the
same territory gone over by Reeves.
The species OF the aphis at work is
said to be unlike any ever before en-
countered by the farmers of Idaho
and this has made them hard to kill
out. The pest is known to be quite
active in all counties along the Ore
gon Short Line where are located the
chief clover growing districts of the
state
Clover in bloomisattacked by the
aphis. The louise bores into the
plant from the top, feeding upon the
juice. If permitted to feed uninter-
rupted it takes away from the clover
the sap needed to promote growth
stunning the stem and cutting down
the quantity Of the seed produced.
The work of the aphis in the alfal-
ia fields is less serious since the
pest feeds only ON the blossoms and
this crop is generally cut before 1t
has been long in blossom. However,
the aphs is proving menace to al
falfa grown for seed purposes.
Director Center Of the extension desI
partment has gone to Moscow to con-
fer with Melvin A. Brannon, presi-
dent of the university, and w. A.
LLOYD of Washington, d. c., govern
ment director of the work carried ON
by county agents. At this meeting
some means of waging winning
fight against the louise pest may be
devised.
Until reports have been filed by
entomologists who have been over
the area infested it will be impossibleI
to determine just how much damage
has resulted to the clover crop and
the extent of the activities Of the
aphis. The greatest harm by the pest
is known to have been done in the
Twin Falls district, but farmers In
Ada, Canyon, Gilmore, Washington
counties are reporting inroads on
their clover crops by the louise
Guy Graham, state horticultural