The Prescott daily news., 1916-06-15
CONTROLLING CORN
 AND COTTON WORM
Loss of This Pest MinimiZed by Avoiding Summer Cultivation Capable of Destroying Tot ally Fields of Corn.

Washington, D. C., June 15.-ln the
 radication of the corn and cotton Wireworm, one of the most important steps is to leave the soil undisturbed l from the middle of June to the middle Iof August, This, says a new publi- cation of the U. s. Department of l Agriculture, Farmers Bulletin 733, may prove, indeed, to be the most beneficial measure that can be adopt led, In addition to handling the ] ground in such a way as to make this possible, the author, Edmund H. Glb- 1 son, recommends that manure and cover crops be turned under in order to add humus to the light sandy spots and, that if it must be grown on infested land, corn be planted early and everything possible done to hasten its rapid growth.
 Throughout the Carolinas, Illinois, Missouri, Arkansas and Mississippi, Iand very probably elsewhere in the eastern half of the United States, he corn and cotton wireworm is capable of destroying totally fields of com. Ordinarily, however, the insect ccn- icentrates its attacks upon spots of loose sandy soil. and for this reason the species is sometimes referred to as the "sandy spot" Wireworm. Un- der proper conditions the pest can do an enorm ~s amount of damage. Cot ton and corn are its principal food, but oats, rye, cowpeas, crab grass, and Johnson grass suffer as well. and sweet potatoes, peanuts, tobacco, watermelons. and the roots of wild bamboo have been attacked
 The adult beetles deposit their eggs in the soil about the roots of com, cowpeas, and other plants, for the most part, during the latter part of June and through July. As soon as the young wireworms, or larvae, emerge from the eggs, they begin to feed upon the roots of the plants around them. With the coming of the winter, the worms descend into the ground to a depth depending upon the severity of the climate. Always, however, they do down sufficiently far to make fall and winter blowing use l less as means of eradication. In the spring the worms return to the top soil. Altogether they remain in the ground as larvae for two years and possibly for three. They then enter the pupa or resting stage md m about twelve days emerge as adult beetles and very shortly thereafter begin to deposit theirseggs
 This, however, the beetles will not do in soil which is crusted or baked. A field in this condition they will leave for one which is covered by a dust mulch or which nas recently been plowed. This fact is of the dt- most importance in controlling the pest and Is the reason why infested land should not be planted to any crop which requires cultivation through the summer.
 An advantageous way of handling such land is to plant a winter cover crop-wheat or rye for instance after harvesting the corn. This may be pastured during the winter months and turned under during the spring. The humus which is thus added to the land stiffens the sandy soil. which. as has been said. provides the most favorable conditions for the wire worms. A catch crop of red clove- is also excellent, and such combinations as wheat and clover in certain lccali- ties not only afford two crops a year. but permit the soil to remain undis- turbed at the time when the beetles are laying their eggs.
 The most effective means of gettipg rid of the pest would undoubtedly he to let the infested fields lie idle tor three years. In this way crust woIld be formed on the surface. which the majority of adult wireworms could not penetrate. For obvious req sons, however, the average farmer does not care to do this and will pre- fer to adopt the measures already mentioned. In any event, he is warned by the author of the bulletin not to plant corn two years in sue Lcession on infested land.