The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1930-07-19
CORN BORER IN
INDIANA FACING
UNITED ENEMIES
Federal and State Forces to
Open War on Crop Pest
Next Week.

Ba Times Special
WASHINGTON. July Estate
and federal authorities will cooper
ate next week in a statewide
campaign 70 curb the spread Of the
European corn boIer in Indiana.
The pest, one Of the most destrllc-
tive which ever has assailed the corn
farmer Of the United States, has
been discovered in one-third Of the
counties of the state. As rapidly as
signs of infestation are discovered
in new areas, additional counties or
townships Will be placed under quar-
antine. The federal quarantine for
bids the shipment Of ear corn from
the infested area. Shelled corn may
be shipped under federal inspection.
Indiana's guaranteed area is now
limited roughly by a line drawn
from the northwest corner of the
state to the southeast corner OF
Franklin county. Twenty-Five en-
tire counties and parts OF eight
others are under the ban. Because
the infestation is less than two years
old in the state, it has not yet at
tanned the intensity which causes
commercial damage. Unless the
spread is checked by drastic con-
troll methods. however, serious crop
losses may result, the department Of
agriculture warns.
II the infested area is extended as
much this year as last, department
experts declare, Marion county will
be brought within the quarantine
area.
Wind Spreads Pest
Evansville still is about 100 miles
from the nearest afflicted township,
but scouts are already at work in
Vanderburg. Pike and Knox coun-
ties. The spread normally occurs
about this season of the year, when
the eggs deposited in the corn stalks
of the previous crop are Matched
The moths are carried by wind,
which makes the main direction Of
the spread a matter of chance.
Frank N. Wallace, Indiana state
entomolOgist, IS directing the In
diana cleanup campaign in CO.
operation with the plant quarantine
and control administration of the
department of agriculture. Farmers
are being urged to destroy all corn
stalks in the infested area after har-
vest. Burning or deep blowing
under has been accepted by the fed
eraI experts as the most effective
cleanup method. Any method
which preserves infected stalks from
one season to the next facilitates
the spread OF the pest.
The average intensity OF inteSta-
ton in Indiana is now seven borerS
per 100 stalks throughout the quar-
antined area. Commercial damage
begins when the borer population
averages five to the stalk.
Sixteen States Affected
First discovered in Massachusetts
in 1917, the bOrer has spread at the
rate of about $4,000 square miles
year until today a total of 100000
square miles in sixteen states are
under quarantine. The area en-
braces the southern two-thirdS OF
New England; the northern quarter
of New Jersey; al of New York;
three-fourthS of Pennsylvania and
Ohio: the panhandle of West Vir-
ginia: all of Michigan and the
northeast third of Indiana. In
Canada, the infestat.on covers por-
tons of the provinces of New
Brunswick, Nova Scotia, ontario and
Quebec.
Until 1927 the department of
agriculture maintained hope that
the borer might be eradicated.
After efforts backed by a S10,0O0,OOO
emergency appropriation that year
failed to check its spread in Ohio
and Pennsylvania. however, experts
gave up all hope of determination
and revised their program to one OF
control
An appropriation of $1,0O0.000 is
available for the fight this year.
The various infested states will add
considerably to this amount.
Indiana'S quarantine area includes
all of the following counties: Adams,
Allen, Blackford, Dekalb, Elkhart,
Grant. Huntington. Jay, KosciuSko,
Lagrange. Larorte. Marshall, Miami,
Noble, Randolph, Starke, st. Joseph,
Steuben. Wabash. Wayne, Wells and
whitney. In addition, fifty square
miles or more are under quarantine
in Delaware, Fayette, Fulton, Henry,
Howard. Madison. Porter and Union