The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-09-05


 Alabama for the, five-year period of 1912 1916 was 55,S28,000 bushels, and the value per bushel during this period has ranged from an average of 70 cents in October and S5 cents on December 1, to $1. 20 per bushel in July. The damage done by all insects to stored corn is greatest in soutf Alabama, where the growing season is longest and the winters are mildest, ant decreases gradually toward the mortimer. bordeW In no section is it negligible. but in the Tennessee valley it is muck less serious. The average loss for tha state will evidently be fairly represented by the conditions at the geographical center which is about Autauga county and this is where we have studied th;a matter most closely. Here the insect loss has averaged approximately 5 per cent, or an increase of 1 per cent per month, from October to the end of Feb ruary and thereafter increased by an additional ? per cent per month up tc the end of July, at which time we may consider the old crop practically used up
 Upon the foregoing basis which is stated so that our readers may be con vinced of the general reliability and conservatism of the statements which fol- low, it is evident that the Alabama farm CTS have been paying a tax of at least s4,009,000 year out of their corn crop of from 5o.0O0,0O0 to 60000,0O bushels dur ing recent years. This tax has been col lected by the black weevil and other in sccts which have taken most of it out of the crib after the corn has been put in storage The destruction of this immense amount of corn has been permitted with out protest from the corn raiser because he has not known that this loss can be easily prevented.
 1917 YIELD
 ,nt- v, ,O0o,O00 bushels, the largest ever raised storage beyond March 1, 1918, than ever before and the value per bushel was also higher than for the major portion of any preceding crop. Under these circum- stances it proved to be one of the bless ings of the unusually severe winter of 19l7-191S that the continued and extreme cold prevailing during December and January so checked the development of the weevils in corn that their injury this season has been much less than would have occurred during a normal season. However, with the increased crops and high prices which are likely to prevail in the future the insects may be expected to take $10,000,000 a year out of Alabama corn cribs unless they are brought un- der control. We cannot afford this ab- solute waste. While the grower bears
 
 corn other grain must and does actual ly help pay thesbill.
 This problem has been studied closely by the department of entomology at Au- burn for the past nine years and the practicability of preventing large part of this insect damage has been dem onstrated both through experimental work and also through the repeate ex- perience of some of the best corn raisers in Alabama. We can save every year many millions of dollars worth of corn if corn raisers generally will make a few simple, practicable and inexpensive changes in the usual time and methods of harvesting and storing corn, and also select seed corn having long, tight fitting shuck In this bulletin we can give only the most essential points from the recommendations first made in Ala bama bulletin No 176. As bulletin No. 176 is now out of print this summary takes the place of it for further distribu- tion The following steps should be put into practive promptly and in the order named
 EARLIEST MATURING
 1. Utilize the very earliest maturing corn on the farm as a trap plot. This step is essential to the most complete and economical control of all insects at tacking stored corn. All of these species
 
 attracted for some distance, and there fore concentrate upon the earliest ma turing corn and produce their first field generation therein. It requires only four weeks for this generation to develop art CT the eggs are laid and the eggs arc laid as soon as the corn begins to harden or glaze. Therefore, If all the ears from this earliest plot are gathered with the husk on within six weeks after the corn is in the roasting ear stage it is possi- ble to take practically all of this first generation out of the field and prevent the spread that would otherwise occur during the next few weeks to the later maturing corn. which up to this time Ia probably uninfested and may so remain through the season if the early patch is properly handled to prevent the sprea.- of the weevils therefrom.
 The early corn may thus be made d trap to concentrate and catch the first generation, but if any part of it is left in the field beyond the six weeks period IL uses most of it's possibilities as a tral. Bplot and becomes a breeding plot in stead. Spring the trap while the weevils are in it..
 There are several ways in which this early infested corn may be utilized 50 as to prevent the escape of the weevi.s from it to the main crop. In the past most of the farmers have gathered the ears as needed for early fall feed for stock This may not have been done as promptly or as completely as it should have been done. For best results, all ears in the early patch should be gatherei just as soon as mature enough to feed and with the shucks on, and stored be- fore the weevis begin emerging. If it VII be fed out within the next few weeks. 1t will require no further treatment, bu if 1t must be kept for more than month it should be fumigated with high life to stop the weevil development at once. This early corn may be sold for imme- diate use. The matter of price is en- tirely secondary. Let it go. It will not keep, and it will endanger the other corn if kept untreated.
 OTHER STATES FOLLOW
 The idea of deliberately using the early maturing corn to trap weevils is original with us here in Alabama, but it is cer- tain to be adopted by other southern states in the near future. Every corn raiser, whether tenant or owner. black or White, can plan for this trap plot. II requires no extra fields, buildings, ex- pense. or skill at any stage of the work. The key to success in utilizing it. wheth- Ter it has been planned for deliberately or simply happens to exist. is the prompt and complete harvesting of all the earliest corn before the weevils emerge and scatter, and the disposal of the corn in th's way, regardless of his failure to fpa ;,,i a nd dn if