The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1916-05-17
A COUSIN OF THE
COTTON BOIL WEEVIL
RAD RELATIVE OF PEST DEVAS-
TATES ALFALFA FIELDS OF
WESTERN FARMERS.
FIGHTING IT WITH PARASITES

Small Beetle Has VOraciOus Appetite
and Can Cut Down Alfalfa Field Ot
Eight Tons Per Acre to Half Ton
of Worthless Chat.
For the past ten or more years the
country had heard much of the dam
age caused to the cotton crop by the
boil weevil, but comparatively little
has been known of it's first cousin
the alfalfa weevil, which is menacing
tn emillions of acres of alfalfa IN
the west. This alfalfa weevil has a
yoracious appetite and can cut down
an alfalfa field of eight or ten tons
per acre to half a ton or less of dusty,
worthless chaff. This new pest of
the western farmer was only recently
introduced from Europe into Utah,
where he has already demolished
many fine fields of irrigated alfalfa,
and since there is no such thing as
duarantining him he is rapidly
spreading to other states.
In this small insignificant looking
beetle which secrets itself in railroad
cars, baled hay shipments, ETC., and
thus travels far and wide, there is a
potential enemy of the great alfalfa
crop of the west which must cause
millions of dollars of damage annu-
ally, except for the fact there are
strong processes at work to encom-
pass his destruction, or at least hold
him in check. With its characteristic
energy the department of agriculture
is fostering a number of breeds of
friendly bugs to prey upon this pest,
and it is anticipated that ''phytono-
mus which is Latin for the alfalfa
weevil, will not long be in clover, "
as was the case when he first landed
on our shores.
Natural Enemies Found.
The first move of the government
bug men was to visit the alfalfa areas
of southern Europe, northern Africa,
and eastern Asia, where the weeyil
came from, to find out what kind of
natural enemies held him in check,
since it was found from his deyasta
ton of American fields that he must
have enemies or else there would be
no alfalfa in the old world. A num-
Der of these were found, seven diff
ferent kinds were shipped home, col
onies were started in glasses and in
small tents in weevil infested Utah
alfalfa fields, and these were later
liberated to begin their own work of
useful destruction. Nevertheless,
these friendly parasites must be help
ed along since the weevil is no drone,
a single alfalfa plant often supplying
a home for $4,000 to $4,000 Young
in a season, which may travel to a
distance of 25 to 80 miles.
This parasite introduction which
the government bug men are cOntin-
ually carrying on to keep in check
harmful insects is of immense eco
nomic value, but it is matter re-
quiring no little circumspection, be-
cause some bugs are both carnivor-
Gus and plant eaters, and before lib
Grating new arrivals careful Observa-
tions must be made as to whether
they are not going to prove enemies
as well as friends, the damage they
would do perhaps oYerbalancing the
good On the other hand they may
be what are called secondary para
sites, and some of these which are
now being held under observation as
enemies of the alfalfa weevil may be
found to prefer to feed on other par
asites which eat exclusively of weeyils
and other insects injurious to man.
Has an Unsuitable Appetite.
A special study of the alfalfa Wee
vii has been made by F. M. Webster,
of the department of agriculture. He
recognizes it as a foe worthy of the
best efforts of the government, and
says that unless very radical steps
are taken the pest will extend its