Evening star., 1947-03-02
Montgomery Bureau
Plans Drive With DD1
On Japanese Beetle
By james BirchfieId

A county, wide program to control
the japanese Beetle through the
use of DDT and high pressure spray
equipment-the first experiment of
its type in the country-will be con-
Quoted this summer in Montgomery
County.
The program, instigated by the
Montgomery County Farm Bureau
and to be financed with private and
public funds, was announced yes
terday by o. w. Anderson, county
agent, at the 18th annual Sandy
Spring Farmers Convention. More
than IS farmers attended the meet
ing at Sherwood High School.
The Montgomery spray program,
according to Mr.. Anderson. will take
advantage of the long-lasting quail
ties of DDT. Instead of waiting un-
til the beetles emerge about the
middle of June, foliage that is par
ticularly liked by the insects will be
covered with the chemical earlier in
the season. This will enable the en-
tire county to be treated in readi-
ness for the first beetles.
Mr.. Anderson said cyclone sprays:
will be used to cover the sassafras,
elm and wild grape foliage along
the sides of every road in the coun-
ty. This will be done at public ex-.
pense.
Then, he added, farmers in the
county will be asked to bear the ex-
pense of treating their farms. He
advised farmers to plant a strip of
soy beans-a plant preferred by the
beetles-around their corn fields so
that this could be sprayed with
DDT.
Mr.. Anderson said that in surveys
OF the beetle population, from Is to
so grubs per square foot have been
found. This indicates, he added, the
beetle infestation that may be ex-
pected this summer.
The greatest damage by the Japa-
nese beetle is to the corn crop, the
county agent explained, and it would
be impossible effectively to spray
the county's corn fields even if air
plane equipment were used.
BY treating the food preferred by
the beetles, he said, 1t is hoped that
the insects will be largely eradi-
Gated before the corn begins to
taSsel.
Past Control Limited.
Control measures used in the past,
such as trapping and spreading the
milky white disease, have not given
quick results, nor have they provided
effective control of large infesta-
tions, Mr.. Anderson said.
II the proposed experiment Is ef-
fective in Montgomery County, he
said, it will set a pattern for control
work throughout the Nation.
There is one thing that I want to
urge" Mr.. Anderson said, land that
is the necessity for full cooperation
by every farmer.
In order to cover the country we
will have to follow rigid schedule
II farmer does not enter at the
beginning of the program, and
later finds his farm heavily in
tested with beetles, it is doubtful if
he will be able to get assistance"
Fruit Spraying Planned.
Edward Bender, assistant county
agent, told farmers a fruit spraying
program is being planned to enable
the small fruit grower to obtain
spray service for approximately 40
cents per tree.
Other speakers included Paul
Walker, economist at the University
of Maryland; DR.. S. H. De Vault,
head of the university's department
of agricultural economics; j. j.
Hutton, representative of the county
farm bureau, and Earl Hogue, a
farm manager. o
Resolutions adopted by the con-
vention included one opposing a
bill now in the State Legislature
that would authorize the State
Road Commission to acquire 2O0-foot
strips on each side of State roads
for landscaping. and a resolution
Il