The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1923-06-14
NORMAL TOLL
FROM BLIGHTS
ON 1923 CROP
Damage by Disease, Insects,
Held Not More Than
Usual in State
BUGS IN FLAX FIELDS

Fargo, N. d., June 14.-Diseases
insects and hail are taking at least
normal toll of the 1928 wheat crop
in North Dakota, which federal au-
thorities estimate will be reduced
one-third from the crop of last year
Lack of rain; damage from cut
worms, grasshoppers. flase chinch
bug and gophers; heat canker dam
age to flax, together with more hail
losses to date than last year are
among the unfavorable factors in
the reports received by the North,
Dakota Extension division from &c
county extension agents of the statet
and from other sources.
Reports have been received from
Adams and Mcintosh counties of
false chinch bugs destroying flax,
fields. Entomologists Of the Agri-'
cultural college declare that the
false chinch bug, if present in suf
ficiently large numbers, will cause
as much damage as the real chinch
bug, but that as a rule they do not
affect grain crops.
There is no practical method of
destroying the false chinch bug on
a large SCALE" is the statement
made today by DR.. r. l.. Whistler,
entomologist Of the Experiment sta
ton. However, where these insects
are causing damage to the flax
fields, the farmer should pillow sew
eral burrows around that part of
the field which has not yet been in
tested, then drag the plowed area
with a log or chain drag in order to
provide a dusty service. The young
bugs will have difficulty in cross
ing this area in order to get to the
uninfested field
CutwOrm Damage
Reports continue to- come in of
cutwOrm damage to grain and corn
in the southwest, but apparently
the cutworms are not causing as
much damage as usual. <Grasshop-
pers' have caused little alarm thus
far, although heavy damage is re-
ported from Pacific coast states.
Black stem rust of wheat has not
yet appeared, and is not expected
for at least another week, accord
ing to DR.. Wanda Weniger, plant
pathologist of the Experiment sta
ton. Last year the first black
stem rust infection on wheat was
observed June &C." Dr. Weniger re-
80 To 70, moi ~ va yy
late appearance, the estimated dam
age to wheat crop in North Dakota
for 1922, according to the u. S.
Plant Disease Survey Office was 20
per cent.
One report of curly dwarf mosaic
disease in Early Triumph potatoes
received from the northeast part
of the state has not yet been veri-
fled, and plant pathologistst declare
this to be very early date for the
appearance of this disease. Mosaic
disease has caused little damage to
the potato crop in North Dakota in
the past, they say, but is the most
dreaded disease in southern states.
Its extensive appearance in North
Dakota would result in a falling off
of demand for North Dakota seed
in these southern states.
Excessive heat on June 2 and 3
resulted in damage to flax fields in
the Fargo locality due to heat
'canker, a mechanical injury caused
by high temperatures at the soil
line. This causes girdling of the
stem and breaking over of the plant
and usually effects plants less than
four inches in height.
Hail Losses
Hail losses reported to date are
somewhat in excess of last year, ac-
cording to information received
from Martin S. Hagen, manager of
the state hail insurance department.
Losses from hail reported to
date total 26S", Mr.. Hagen declares,
while year ago at this time the
total number of losses reported was
224. During the past week storms
occurred on June 3 and June g.. The
losses were not heavy but were
widely scattered, especially in the
first storm. Losses by counties in
clude Barnes 62, Burke S, Benson 2,
Bowman 90, Cavalier 3, Cass 3, Dick
ey 32, Divide 13, Eddy 9, Emmons-
Foster l, Golden Valley 6, LaMoure
Is, Logan 3, Ransom 3, Ransom 2,