The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1925-10-30
How to Get Rid
Of All Weevils
Heavy Damage Wrought to
Beans and Peas by Many
Little Insects.

1920
of Agriculture.)
The annual board bill Of the bean
and pea weevils reaches total Of
many millions. Furthermore, on ac-
count of heavy damages wrought by
these insects, farmers have sharply
reduced the acreage devoted to beans
and peas, In numerous cases abandon
ing the commercial production of those
crops for others.
Contrary to widely current be-
lief, bean and pea weevils do not de-
velop spontaneously from the germ Of
the seed. AS the bean and pea pods
grow, the mother weevil. which flies
from the storage house where in
tested seed are kept to the growing
crop in the field, lays eggs either on
the outside of the pods or within them.
From these eggs. which appear as
mere white specks, there hatch white
grubs that bore through the pod into
the soft developing beans or peas. The
holes through which the grubs enter
the seeds are too small to be seen
without a microscope. Thus many
seeds that appear outwardly sound in
reality harbor weevil grubs. Their
presence Is usually not discovered I'M
til as adult weevils they burrow their
way to freedom, leaving hole about
one-sixteenth of an inch in diameter.
Leguminous Crops Injured.
Injury to leguminous crops is caused
by a number of insects. Those COM
monty found in supplies of beans,
peas, cowpeas, or lentils in this coun-
try include the pea weevil, the COM
mon bean weevil, the four-spotted
bean weevil, and the lentil weevil.
With the exception of the pea weevil
and the 'lentil weevil the weevils at
lacking beans and COW peas produce
generation after generation in dried
seeds in storage as well as on the
growing plants.
Since the pea weevil, which attacks
peas, cannot breed in dried seeds, peas
intended for planting may be held
over for one year in tight paper bags
SO that the weevils that emerge can
not live but will die before the second
spring.
If weevils are found in peas, cow
peas, or beans. they can be readily
killed by fumigation with carbon di-
sulphid. Water-tight barrels make
convenient receptacles in which to
store and fumigate small quantities
Of these crops Fill the barrels to
within few inches Of the top with
seeds. pour one cup or more Of car
bon disulphid on the seeds in each
barrel, and then cover with a double
thickness Of heavy wrapping paper
tied tight around the top, or with sew
eral sacks weighted down with boards.
A wooden cover is also useful in keep
ing in the fumes. The carbon disulphid
when poured over the seeds quickly
vaporizes, and the gas, being heavier
than air, sinks to the bottom of the
container. filling all the air spaces.
Fumigation requires from "a to 4S
hours It is better to use too much
carbon disulphid than not enough.
Well dried seeds properly fumigated
with carbon disulphid are not dam
aged either as food or as seed to be
planted.
Temperature for Fumigating.
"A favorable temperature for fumi-
eating with this chemical is rs degrees
Fahrenheit or higher. In fumigating
with carbon disulphid care must be
taken to make sure that there is no
fire in the room or nearby, even lighted
cigars, lighted lanterns, or the spark
from an electric fixture, as the gas
is explosive and infiammable, when
coming into contact with fire in any
form. Carbon disulphid is purchased
as liquid in iron drums or tin cans
and weighs about 101a pounds per
gallon. When fumigating large quaint
ties of seeds, use from to 20 pounds
Of carbon disulphid per 1000 cubic
feet Of space to BE fumigated, the
amount varying with the tightness Of
the container and the temperature.