The Delta independent., 1919-09-26
THE ALFALFA.weEv,L MUST COZ
wv. H. Olin.)


The Alfalfa Weevil has caused no
little. concern in Delta County, Colo
rado. The state entomologist, Prof
C. P. Gillette has stationed a special
ist. Mr. c. .-C,5Wakeland in the infested
area and some most careful work has
been and, is being done looking to-
ward putting this most injurious pest
"out of commission The Alfalfa
Weevil made his first appearance in
this country in the Salt Lake Valley
Utah and has caused millions OF dol
lars worth Of damage to the basis
crop of Utah-alfalfa.
The U. S. Bureau of Entomology CO.
operating with the Department Of En-
tomology of Utah Agricultural College.
has done valiant work to curb the
ravages of this destructive insect pest.
After eight years painstaking investi-
CATION and careful demonstration, Mr..
Geo. l. Reeves of the U. s. Depart
ment of Entomology, has produced an
alfalfa spray that the farmers and
county agents in at least seven coun-
ties in Utah consider as the final
remedy which will rid the infected
area of the alfalfa weevil.
The season of 1919 1t was tried out
on $500 acres of alfalfa and convinced
the growers that they could handle
this valuable crop as they did before
the advent of the weevil. 1t absolute
ly eliminates Mr.. Weevil. A recent
number of the Utah Farmer thus de-
scribes the spray used and cost of
same:
The Method Used
The method consists of putting a
light application of an arsenical spray
over the tops of the alfalfa plants at
the time the weevil become numerous
enough to do noticeable damage. This
year arsenate of lead was used at the
rate of pounds powdered form or
pounds paste form per 100 gallons
of water. About 100 gallons of the
spray solution were used per acre.
BY this system the work of the weevil
can be checked. The plants will con-
tinue to grow till the normal time of
cutting, and the second crop will start
as usual Immediately afterward.
Fields which showed serious damage
when sprayed, recovered and produced
new growth and bloomed. Results.
also were obtained on the stubs of
unsprayed fields by spraying immed-
lately after cutting. One of the val
liable features of the spraying method
is that it fits into the program of
work of the average farm and does
not interfere with irrigation. The
spray is applied normally ten days to
two weeks before the regular cutting
time of the first crop, and at that seas
on of the year the farmer has more
time than he does earlier in the seas
on or during the haying season. This
seasons results. also demonstrated
that no very great amount of skill
is necessary to successfully apply the
spray. and that the spraying of 25
TO 30 acres per day can be accomplish
ed with power outfit.
Equipment
Any spray apparatus that can be
used successfully for orchard spray
ing can be adapted to the alfalfa wee
vii work. and while some modifica-
tions of the regular fruit tree seem
desirable for alfalfa weevil work. vet
practically every make and type of ap-
paratus was used this season. The
equipment was not always confined to
commercial spray outfits, but a great
deal of genius was manifested by the
growers of various sections in assem-
bling outfits which did the work sue.
cessfully. One grower assembled an
outfit without using any part of a com
mercial spray machine; even the noz-
zles were hand made.
Cost
The spraying is not expensive. and
compares favorable with the cost of