The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1919-03-27
SHOULD MAKE WAR on
INSECT PESTS
Many Insects Are a Menace to
Idaho Agriculture as Seen
by University Expert.
(From the Idaho Farmer)

(fTom the ldoho FArmef)
An address little short of sensa
tional was delivered at the recent
meeting Of seed growers at Twin FALL
by Prof. r. H. Smith Of the University
Of Idaho. Declaring that nothing
short Of the most vigorous kind Of
warfare against insect pests adequate
ly financed by the state or the federal
government could prevent a catastro-
phe to certain of the big agricultural
crops of the state, Prof. Smith pointed
out the result of experience with such
pests as the alfalfa weevil, the cl yer
aphis, grasshoppers, clover seed chal-
cid and the pea weevil. These pests,
he declared, were at the present time
costing the state hundreds of thous-
ands of dollars annually and he pre-
dicted time in the near future when,
unless adequate steps for prevention
were taken at once, certain of Idaho's
most profitable phases of agriculture
would be practically wiped out.
Referring to the alfalfa weevil he
said that it now occurs in nine counties
of the state, namely, Bear Lake, Onei-
da, Bannock, Franklin, Cassia, Power,
Bingham, Madison and Payette, and
that there is good reason to believe
that it is present, but not yet dis
covered in other counties. At the
rate that the pest is spreading now
he says it will be matter of few
years at most until the alfalfa weevil
will infect all the Alfalfa growing dis
tricts of the state.
Referring to figures cited by George
/. Reeves, government specialist for
Utah, to the effect that the loss Of al
falfa growers in that state approx
mated 80 per cent of the normal pro-
duction, Mr.. Smith showed that should
conditions come to pass in Idaho it |
would mean a loss of 8 million dollars
annually to the alfalfa producers OF
the state, but discounting those figures
half or even three-fourths, he said il
would still mean an annual loss of
2 million dollars or more.
Referring to the clover aphis as the
pest of second Importance in Idaho, he
said that figures obtained indicated
that the yield in 1918 was an average
Of five bushels per acre below that for
the last five years. On the basis of r
1000 acres to this crop he figures a
oss of $4,000 bushels at 25 cents a
pound meant total loss to the clover !
growers of over 100000.
Grasshoppers he classed as the pest
If third Importance in the state, but
declared that they could be controlled !
.asily by the farmers themselves.
Of fourth importance is the clover G
eed chalcid, said Prof. Smith. This
insect is bee-like creature that laws U
is eggs in the clover blossoms. The !,
ggs hatch tiny grubs which bore into 7
he seeds and eat them out so that {
My shells are left. By the time the
rst heads are mature the grubs are \
into bees which deposit
second crop of eggs in the heads
f seed clover crop. Mr.. Smith said
nat experimental plots had shown as
Ugh as &c per cent of the seed of the A
over eaten out by this pest. D
Prof. Smith indicated that we'll 5.
nown and practical remedies were .
valuable to cover the case of all these !
ests with the possible exception of 5:
lie alfalfa weevil and that expert
ents were making progress in de- to
rmining successful methods against 20 20
lis pest as well. He urged that the y
gislature provide adequate money NJ
it'll which the work of quarantine and 81
adication could be carried on under
e leadership of the best men that e.
oney will secure. 80
Regarding the clover aphis, he said
at since the pest lived over the 30
inter- in the crowns of the plants, q,
could be, successfully combated by
azing the clover fields closely in the W
,e fall so as to remove all vegeta ad
N that would protect it during the ies
inter-. Where the pest becomes bad he,
the spring, he said, it could be eff me
.tively destroyed by thoroughly
azing off the hay crop or by closely w W.
azing the fields Immediately after az,
, hay crop had been removed. He
d that special care should be taken Blu
see that volunteer clover plants 80
! neglected clover stands along -
ches should be destroyed, as such of
ces are ideal alternating quarters E.
the clover aphis as well as for the
YER seed chalcid. "a Ta!
he remedy for the grasshopper he
es is poison bran mash, which ia,
been printed in The Index columns acr
lumber of times. pay
he clover seed chalcid, he said, can Ere
controlled in very large measure 3 a
cutting the hay crop of clover and Far
llfa about the time the first heads b
beginning to ripen. At this time nt