The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1933-09-28

Soou supply VI "oNSt ofo0bAS ohu
the fields are level or comparative
ly so, flooding to a depth of 8 or
inches and holding the water on
the plot for a week. The latter
practice seems to US would be
practical in small sections of the
county only. An attempt would not
be made to flood too large an area
at one time but rather throw up
dikes SO as to hold the water in
long narrow strips, the width and
length depending upon the level
ness of the land.
The first method, that of dry
ing out of the soil seems to us
should have considerable value for
areas in this county. We must ad-
mitt that when DR.. Lane told us
that a wire worm could be killed
by drying him out, that the idea
did not seem feasible at all. DR..
Lane however, assured US that
careful laboratory trials had shown
that thoroughly drying out the
wire worms, as leathery as he
seems to be, if done at time when
the wire worm is active, will kill
them under field conditions up to
80 or 95 percent. No practice has
been developed yet it seems to be
able to give 100 percent control.
Under our conditions it would
seem that any early crop such as
lettuce peas, potatoes, and etc.
could be followed up by this dry
ing out program. DR.. Lane ex-
planned that the best way to do
this was to seed the land to wheat
Immediately following the taking
off of the early crop, water if nee
essary in order to get it started
and then allowing the wheat to
root and take out the extra mois-
ture. The first thought of many
will be that cultivation, even deep
blowing would accomplish this,
but DR.. Lane says much of the
cultivation will simply tend to hold
the moisture in the soil below the
pillow depth and provide good
harbor for the worms. there. The
planting to wheat or rye seems
much more practical as it would
have a tendency to prevent plow-
ing and at the same time attract
the insects toward the top and do
a through job of drying out the
soil. This program should be fol-
lowed preferably during the fore
part of July.
Another step in the drying out
program can be the allowing of
the alfalfa field to go dry where
it is to be plowed up. For instance
if alfalfa is to be plowed this fall,
give it thorough watering the
preceding fall and take off what
crop it possible without any water
whatever the next year. The alfal-
ia will do better job of remov-
ing the water than any other crop
We would have. .s# ~
If one were to follow regular
farm program whereby for in
stance one allows the alfalfa to go
dry next year, blowing it up dur
ing late summer or early fall and
getting it ready for. two cultivat-
ed crops in two years following
the drying out practice with wheat
the second year and then getting
it back to alfalfa after two more
years it should be possible to re-
duce wire worm damage to a min
imum. This practice can well be
worked in with the general farm
rotation practice. It is not expen-
size and if consistently followed,
DR.. Lane feels would do much to
reduce wire worm damage below
a point where it really would
be a serious problem.
This practice should not be COM
pared to any observations which
you may have had on leaving mar
row strips dry. Wire worms travel
considerable. according to DR..
Lane and a narrow strip planted
to crop damaged by wire worms
would be reinfested from moist
area on either side if the dry strip
is a narrow one.
Mr.. Lane assured US that he
would be willing to check results