Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1919-07-01
AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION
az DR. ANDREW M. SOULE


dark brown or black beetle about al
inch in length which possesses a pc,
culiar habit of swapping its head
back and forth, producing click
ing" sound. The worm is dark brown
or black, about two inches long ano
covered with a hard, shiny coat. The
mature beetle appears IN early
newly broken sod and in rather wet
situations The eggs are laid IN
clumps of grasses or sedges early IN
the summer and hatch about mid
summer, the worms working upon
the roots of whatever plants are
present Grasses, corn and other ce-
reals. root crops, vegetables etc.
Usually two or three years are re.
ouired for the worms, to mature into
beetles. When young plants are at
tackled the injury resembles the Worh
of the Root Borer and. for this rea-
son, the wire worm is also known as
the Bud Worm" s.
Crop rotation is the most satisfac.
tory means of controlling wire
worms. Corn or potatoes shou!o
never follow sod Fall blowing IN
regions subject to winter frosts de-
stroys many of the immature insects
Often it is advisable to pillow during
the summer after the eggs nave
been deposited and plant to some re,
sistant crop which will be harvested
II
blowing. The application salty Ter,
tilizers (kainit and nitrate of SOFA
destroys many of the insects; kal-
nit at the rate of 1000 pounds pei
acre is recommended, :.
Plant Lice-Little can he done IN
the direct destruction of lice. HOW
ever. the eradication, of ants by croI
rotation and fall plowing Will aHoro
Rough Headed Corn Stalk Beetle
The rough headed beetle, so named
because of the roughened appearance
of the head" is about half an men
in length, Jet black in color and In
shane resembles the common MAY
bug" In this case the mature beetle
is responsible for the damage, not
the "larva." as in most. cases OF IN
sect trouble. -n
Early in the season the mature
beetles emerge from the ground and
attack the young corn plants. After
the plants are about two feet hlgh
the danger period is past. The in
Jury consists of a large. ragged hole
in the base of the stem just below
the surface of the ground, the heart
or bud being destroyed. Within a
few hours of the attack the central
leaves wilt and turn yellow.
Early planting and heavy appllca-
tions of barnyard manure Will afford
through the danger period before. the
beetles emerge from the ground
The rough-headed beetle occurs com
monty in wet sod about the borders
of depressions and caused great
damage when such lands are
broken and planted at once to corn.
Fields adjacent to wet lands are apt
to be troubled also.
The chief measures of control con-
sist of drainage or wet lands; fall
blowing; the adoption of systematic
rotation of crops, and following SOD
with some crop other than corn.
Weevil-The corn weevil proves
a destructive field pest in the coastal
plain region of the south in add1-
ton to being serious storage trouble
over the entire country. The mature
insect is quite similar in appearance
to the bill bug, possessing long
snout, but is much smaller--varying
around one-eighth inch in length,
Usually the weevil makes it's appear
ance as soon as the corn begins to
harden, and continues the destruction
until only the shell is left of the
individual grains. No variety pos
sesses grains f1inty enough to pre-
vent the entrance of the beetle.
AS a result of various studies in
south Georgia 1t has been. observed
that ears with open husks are in
variab1y attacked by the weevil,
while those ears possessing tight
husks with long, close tips are usual
ly immune. This observation applies
to corn both on the. stalk and in
stera gle. : Since the long, tight .sh41clI
is an inherent characteristic ofScorn,
proper seed selection in the field con-
tinued over a period Of years should
result in strain Of corn practically
weeyi1 resistant. since the Weevil is
also carrier of diseases, there is, a
two-fold object in its eradication.
In those regions where the prin-
cipal weevil damage is in storage
the trouble may be overcome by
fumigation. First, the crib or storage
house should be made as alright as
practicable. using building paper held