Evening star., 1924-05-15

imported to this country from Japan
stock of iris root. which was ship
ped into New Jersey for propagation,
and with that shipment came one or
the worst insect pests that ag1cul-
ture has ever been forced to combat
Hidden away in the sol surrounding
the roots of the iris came rev
grubs of the japanese green beetle
foe to practically every type OF frult
and many types of grasses, and
determined enemy Of the green's com
mittees of the golf courses in the
infected area.
The beetle was first discovered IN
Riverton, n. J.. in 1916. Some vaguN
idea of its spread since that time 1S
contained in an example cited by DT.
A. r Quaintance, associate chlef or
the bureau of entomology, Depart
ment of Agriculture. One hundred
and fifty peach trees were shaken
one morning last year and from the
ground about the trees thirteen six
teen gallon jars of the beetles were
gathered The following morning
the trees seemed as thickly populated
as they had been prior to the shak-
ing process.
Spread of Beetle Serious.
The spread of this beetle has pre-
sented a most serious problem, for
methods of combat are difficult. IL
is most destructive. the beetle i'll It's
adult stage eating the foliage OF
trees and bushes bearing fruit and
thus depriving them of their lungs,
resulting in death OF the trees, or at
the best cropless year. While IN the
grub stage the beetle feeds off the
succulent roots of golf course green's
being especially appetlzinS 10 Ine
grub. Instances have been known
where whole section of SOD on a
green could be rolled up like carpet,
with the roots cut off as though with
a sharp knife.
So serious has the menace of the
Japanese green beetle become that 1t
has been necessary for the Onltea
States Department of Agriculture to
place an embargo against all nursery
men and farmers in the infected area,
which takes in parts of New Jersey,
Pennsylvania and Delaware NO plant
of any nature may be sent out thaI
has earth attached to its roots, and
no roots may be shipped away unless
they have been thoroughly WaShcd'
as the grubS are fairly certain 10 pc
reposing in any quantity of soil that
might be attached. This embargo is
| of serious proportions, for 1t mus
| nurserymen in the infected sections
who have establishments represent
| ing a total investment of something
States Act Separately.
| Despite the embargo and the care
with which it is enforced. five states
| have seen fit to be dissatisfied with
| it and have placed embargoeS OF
! their own. refusing to allow the entry
| of any products from the injected
area.
! Numerous methods have been tried
| for the determination of the insect,
nd
! cess has been had the steady march
| of the beetle has continued from
! year to year. During the 1923 sea-
| son the size of the infected area
grew from 500 square miles to $500
| square miles. Among the embarg goes
| products which may not be shipped
out of the quarantined section are
sweet corn, cabbage, lettuce, toma-
| forage soil, such as compost fertl-
| lizer sand used for building pur-
poses and other such substances.
DR.. Quaintance declared that when
fruit Shipment-bananas, Tor IN
] stance arrives from a southern
country to be unloaded in Philadel /
phia and loaded on freight cars for
| shipment all over the country, II is
! necessary that inspectors carefully
examine every piece that goes into
! the freight cars, for the beetles
| swarm around awaiting a chance to
alight on the punches of bananas, or
make their way into the fruit boxes.
Fought With Parasites.
Among the methods of combating
the beetle is one that holds the most
| hope for the future-the attack upon
| the beetle with parasites. Three have
| been obtained from Japan that are
fatal to the beetle, but of these only
| one has proven particularly success
| ful up to the present. Spraying of
trees has been found effective and
soaking the ground with poison has
also helped.
| the life of the beetle. From a dor
| mant stage during the winter the
grub comes near the surface or the
| ground in April, to feed on grass