The Maui news. [volume] (Wailuku, Maui, H.I.) 1900-current, 1919-09-26
Do RegO Says Corn
HuSkS Best Cure
Finds WeevilS Will Not Attack Corn
When Natural Covering Is Left On

is a simple discovery and one to
which no expense is attached. Mr..
do Rego does not heat his corn in an
oven nor build a %fumigating pen. He
simply leaves the shucks on the corn
when he husks it, and says that he
has found that a good coating of corn
husks is as effective as any chemical
as a weevil protection.
This is quite an important discov-
cry to the corn farmers of Hawaii,
says the Star-Bulletid. Every year
the weevils ruin large quantities of
good corn. Corn that is apparently
good one month will often be found
to be drilled full of holes and be full
of larva the next smonth. 1t is need
less to say that the feeding value of
this corn is greatly lowered by these
pests. 1t is a certainty that the sell
ing value is almost all gone. Few
farmers or feeders will pay much for
weevily corn,
So Mr.. de Rego's method of keep
ing out weevils should be of great
help to the Hawaiian farmers. The
only think that it will be necessary
for them to do to get the protection
afforded by the husks is 10 to take
them off of the ear at the harvest
time. Simply snap the ears, husks
and all, and throw them into the crib.
If necessary, they may be husked at
feeding or selling time with no more
effort than they could have been at
the time of harvesting
Good, long husks are necessary for
perfect protection, of course. If the
husks do not cover the entire ear
they are of no use. Let the weevil at
the grain in any place and he will
soon drill all through the ear. The
United States Department of Agricul-
ture has done considerable work in
discovering just how effective differ
ent lengths of husks are in. keeping
out weevils. In one of it's reports it
says:
"Weevils, which cause losses of
tHouSdnuS vi DuSnelS OF corn every
year, will starve rather thar force
their way through good shuck cover
ing. This was determined in labora-
tory Investigations conducted by spe-
cialists of the United States Depart
ment of Agriculture, who made a mum
Der of tests to determine the merits
of shucks as a means of preventing
damage to ear corn. The department
specialists suggest that in the selec-
ton of seed corn attention be given
TO the choice of ears having we'll
formed, extended shucks. A report
OF the Investigations Is contained ina
recent department publication, Bulle-
tin 708.
Field investigations showed 43 per
cent mora weevil infestation in corn
with poor snucks han in that having
good shuckc without worm holes. Stor-
age invo 3t%igations Shaved SO percent
more we9vil iniestauion in c1rn with
poor shucks than in that with GOD
shucks without worm holes. 1t was
found that there are other ADVANTAGES
in having ears well protected by
shucks. The tests showed 8 per cent
more rotten, IS per cont more dis
colored, and Is per cent more worm
moldy ears in puof shucks than IN
good ones.
THE so-callHd good shucSs in these
investigations were not ideal, accord
hE to the bui:CiI; 'ut only better
{ IL the Gy-.. -. . =. o which -,
slutkG fa)2d tc extend by nj Inc
tips of the year., or, if extending be-
yong the tip, did not close tightly
thus Offering an opportunity for in
sects to enter the passage used by
the silks, were placed in the class
having poor shucks. The investiga.
ton made it clear that the farther the
shucks extended beyond the tips of
the ears, the more effective is the
protection against causes of damage
including W This suggested
the possibility of having a shuck ex-
tension long enough 10 be entirely eff
fective against ear damage.
Most corn growers fail to realize
that by improving the shuck covering
on their corn by selection, they may
reduce the amount of damage done
to the grain. Growers generally con
slider only the ear and kernels when
selecting seed. Some observers have
concluded that since weevils are able
to eat the hardest corn, they would
also cut their way through most re-
sistant shucks. Others have observed
that ear worms may cut holes through
a large percentage of the protecting
shuck and that weeYils will enter