Payette enterprise. (Payette, Canyon Co., Idaho) 1909-1935, 1922-09-14
MOSES ALEXANDER-FR
OF THE ALFALFA WEEVIl.

n alfalfa weevil, made an appropriation
81 of 100000 to be used during thu
following biennium for fighting this
ISL pest.
At that time the weevil was just
w. making it's appearance in the Malad
81 Valley of Oneida County and in the
= southern parts of Franklin and Bear
n Lake Counties. The appropriation OF
100000 was placed in charge of the
II Agricultural Extension Office, and the
: Director of that Office, acting in con-
= junction with the State Horticultural
Inspector, started vigorous fight to
ii prevent the weevil from spreading
II farther into the State, and for its
eradication if possible 1t was well
4 known that the weevil had destroyed
thousands of acres of alfalfa in north
ern Utah and had become such men
Z ace to the industry there that the
= United States Government had taken
: an active interest in the problem of
controlling it.
The Idaho State officials at this
time, under the administration of
Governor Haines, were thoroughly
: alive to the dangerous nature of this
pest and both the Director of the
! Agricultural Extension Office and the
1 State Horticultural Inspector used
every means at their command to
fight and control it. AS there was
no Department of Agriculture at that
time, the authority for quarantining
against insect pests was placed in the
hands of the State Horticultural In
spector, and in 1918, that official
with the approval of Governor Haines.
established quarantine against the
counties of Oneida, Franklin and
Bear Lake, which prohibited the
shipment of alfalfa hay out of those
counties into any other section of
Idaho. This action was also taken In |
order to prevent the surrounding
states, and California, from placing
alfalfa veevil quarantine against the
entire state of Idaho, which they were
threatening to do.
AS result of the vigorous fight |
made on the weevil during 1913 and |
1914, the pest was confined to the
three southeast counties mentioned,
and the officials were hopeful that eff
fective methods for. its eradication
could be worked out before it spread
into the great alfalfa sections of the
Snake River Valley.
|
to the alfalfa weevil on Jonuary first
| 1915, when Moses Alexander became
Governor.
The Republican Legislature of
1915 was asked to provide means for
continuing the fight against the al Is
falfa weevil, and made an appropria-
ton of 100000 for the purpose '
This appropriation was vetoed by II
Governor Alexander as being an un- f
necessary expense, and during the h
four years of his administration the h
alfalfa weevil was allowed to spread
at will through the alfalfa fields of a
southern and eastern Idaho. AS a re- s
suit Of this shortsighted policy and A
false economy, or deliberate disre-
gard of the interests of the farmers,
the alfalfa weevil is now to be found U
In practically every alfalfa section is
throughout the Snake River Valley g
and its tributaries. AS a further re- a.
suit, an alfalfa weevil quarantine has
been placed on the State of Idaho byl
Canada, Colorado, Arizona, and by
all the surrounding states, and the s.
farmers of Idaho now have no outside s.
market for their hay.
The quarantine also applies to
fruit and potato shipments, house
nold goods and any shipments of
Idaho products that might carry the -.
alfalfa weevil. No shipments of these ~. ~
products can be made into Arizona. "a
IND into Canada, California, Oregon ~
Washington, Montana, Wyoming I"
Colorado and Nevada they can only be ga
made when accompanied by a certifi- tl(
'ate That the shipment is free from Gu
he alfalfa weevil. This Quarantine su
4gainst Idaho would have been es. "a
ablished in 1914 but for the Mt 20
ctlon taken by State Officials at that 20
ime.
Inc officials of our neighboring nc
tates considered the alfalfa weeyil III
erlous menace. Governor Alexander IRA
lsmlssed the subject with the film lol
ant remark that "the bugs are al, ON
ear" and struck the appropriation hi
ut.
me action of Governor Alexander is
vetolng small appropriation of spe
oVOO.O0 for controlling the alfalfa rel
eeVil before 1t had obtained a seri- inC
is Ioothold in the State, has result oio
IN lts presence throughout SOUTH 1
~, ~ laano as permanent post, which lor
Ill ultimately cost the farmers mil by
'ns OF dollars in labor and EXPENSE pos
r flghting it. From now on thev
I'VE to fight it each season, with pro
'lson spray and other methods. iute or
the fruit growers are Obliged to Sta
sht the coddling moth and San \
Sc scale; and this fight will cost the less
rmers of Idaho an average of one FRO
llar an acre each season. equ
In his campaign of 1914 Moses tota
exander promised to save the Qua
ople of Idaho a million dollars casf
ssibly he did according to his an
uring, but this one veto alone NJ the
small appropriation of s5000,O0 bon'
Il cost the farmers of Idaho mil. 1t
MS of dollars. sion
NO WONDER THE AI,FAIr. the
EVIL REGARDS MOSES AZ Irs goot
FELONG FRIEND well