Evening star., 1923-08-05


new Saturd day
night dish, as the enemy is menac-
ing thousands of acres of beans. and
pork and may become a memory,
or at any rate a luxury.
Not only has the enemy, the bean
ladybird, spread far and wide over
the area of dry bean cultivation. but
it is within striking distance of the
territory where the greater part of
the canned and fresh string beans
are produced. With its progress in
the past few years. the beetle may
reach into Maryland and New Jer-
sey, where the huge crops are pro-
duced
AS a usual thing. ladybirds are
welcomed in the garden. for their
taste in food turns rather toward
larvae and small insects which play
havoc in gardens. The red one, or
the one more familiarly known as
"ladybug. ladybuy. fly away home,
is an ally OF the farmer and house
seems to be the black sheep in the
family.
Millions Lost Annually.
Acre upon acre OF young bean
plants have been left in ruins after
the ladybirds have once found a foo
ing The loss runs into millions ar
nually. The worst of it is the fight
against them is not only difficult but
seemingly a losing one.
First becoming known in the bean
fields of Arizona, New Mexico and
Texas, it was vigorously fought, but
made it's way up into Colorado. Here
the fight was localized for a long
period, and then, lightly jumping over
several states, it broke out in great
numbers in Tennessee, Kentucky,
Alabama, Georgia, the Caroiinas, and
has worked its way into Virginia. In
some blind way it senses the rich
fields to the northeast and is headed
in this direction.
Not only is the ladybird a hearty
eater and greatly destructive in itself.
but when a female makes up her
mind to raise a family she demon
strates what real application to the
work at hand is. The record of one
observed by scientists in the bureau
of entomology is good illustration
July 25, So: July %. so: July 30. 5S !;
August 1. So; August 8. SIS; August S.
81; August s, SO; August 9, So;
August IL, 54; August Is, So; August
Is, So; August 81, 50; August %, So; !;
August &c, SO; August %, 54, and
$50 in a little over month.
Rapid Reproduction.
AS it takes but eight days for the
larvae to hatch and about a month
to reach maturity, an initial colony
of 5000 would in one season total
but figure it out for yourself.
The beetle is about the size of the
color. with eight black spots upon
each wing cover. They first attack
the bean plants in the early spring
as they begin to reach sufficient
growth to produce tender leaves. The
ladybirds come out from their winter
quarters in wood lots, under brush, in
hedges. or any place where they have
been able to find refuge from the
chilling blasts of winter.
They seek the under side of the
leaves. where they feed and lay their
eggs in little yellow clusters. These
eggs when they are changed into
larvae do the greater part of the
damage. They destroy the under tis-
sue of the leaves and later the work
is finished by the adults, who eat out
all the leaf, leaving only the skeleton
to remain, this soon turns white and
drops off. The robbing of the bean
plant of it's leaves soon brings death
to the plant, and in this way acres at
a time fail to produce.
The control of the ladybird is diff
Ilcuit. III the carry SpIinS Time care
full inspection and handpicking of any
specimens found will produce excel
lent results, but on commercial
scale this is almost out of the ques-
tion The householder with his little
kitchen garden, however, can find
benefit in this step.
Poisonous Powder Spray.
In the big bean fields, a poisonous
powder is busted upon the under side
of the leaves or a spray of poisonous
liquid is employed. Paris green, how
ever. can not be applied
Those are the methods used. That
they help is out of the question, but
nevertheless, the ladybird is continu-
ing its progress north and northeast.
Hopes had been expressed that the
ladybird. being of southern origin.
would find the rigorous northern
winters beyond its powers of re-
sistance. This hope, however. is
secuted by j. H. Graf, entomologist
in charge of the fight on the lady
bird at the Department Of Agricul-
ture, who declares that it's ability
to stand the low temperatures in
the mountains OF New Mexico, where
the thermometer often registers
thirty below zero, is an indication
that it is not unable to survive.
What the future of the fight will
be is question of serious study
Science is doing it's best, but the
beetle keeps on advancing. Experts
in the field are seeking new means
of combating the pest and whether
or not they will be successful re-
mains to be seen. At any rate, under
present indications, Washington may
in a fow seasons.