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Show HOW TO COMBAT ALFALFA WEEVIL Professor E. G. Titus of the Agricultural Agricul-tural college tolls the farmers of Utah how to combat tho alfalfa leaf weevil in a bulletin Just Issued. The bulletin covers a year's experiments experi-ments with the weevil, which has been lavagihg the lucern fields of the state, and says that the 1910 infestation infesta-tion spread on the south from tho Salt Lake county lino to three miles below Provo, and on the north from Centerville to tho southern part of Wober county, it threatens to reach all the alfalfa growing sections of the state, Professor Titus says. The bulletin blames tho ravages of the weovjl for the advance in the price of hay. The weevil, the report says, worked a loss or 80 per cent, or about C.300 tons, on the first crop in, Salt Lake county. About two-thirds' of the area in Summit county and one-half of the area In Davis county were Infected, entailing a loss on the first crop ranging from 10 to 50 per cent, the report says. Continuing, the bulletin says-Infestation says-Infestation lc Severe. "The Summit county Infestation is Blowly spreading, and whilo the uninvested unin-vested alfaKa districts are somowhat Bolated it will be but a short timo before it reaches Weber county from the east side. It Is probable that It has been in pnrlB of Morgan county for two years since tho infestation this year is quite severe at Morgan and In the Portervllle district. The acreage nt present seriously infected in-fected is about as follows- Salt Lake county. 500 acres (ajl of area); Sum- ! li .iTnt& .1,5 acres sevn-elghths); sevn-elghths); Davis county, 2,500 acres A!1,10,; ah ,countv' 2,000 acres (one-third); (one-third); Tooele county, 400 acres (one-ha (one-ha f ; Morgan county, 800 acres (one-half): (one-half): and -Weber county. 40 acres "The weevils have been found from tho lower levels of the valleyq (A -200 feet) to tho tops of tho dividing mountain chains (7,000-7,500 feet) "It occurs throughout all of Salt Lake county, including the canyons opening from tho mountain ranges fin each side Into tho valley. EspeclaUv is this truo ofsuch canyons as Par- ley's, Emigration, City Creek, Mill Creek, Big Cottonwood and Llttlo Cottonwood Cot-tonwood The weevil has been found present where isolated clumps of alfalfa al-falfa are growing wild throughout the mountain and sagebrush districts of these regions. Describes Weevil. "The alfalfa leaf woevll is a small, oval, brown snout beetle, about three-sixteenths three-sixteenths of an inch long, that is attacking at-tacking alfalfa In Utah., It is not a native species, but has come to Utah from Europe. "It feeds on plants helonglng to the alfalfa family, injuring all parts of the plant above ground. "Tho eggs are laid in the spring and early summer In tho stems or on tho buds and leaves, and hatch In about ten days. The young,, or larvae, are small alfalfa green worms with a black head They novor becomo much more than one-quarter of an inch in length when full grown. They feed on and In the leaf buds, in the stalks and on tho leaves. "The larvae have no truo legs and have the habit of feeding or resting In a curled position. "When full grown, about fifty to sixty days after hatching, they go to tho ground and spin around "thorn a lace cocoon, in which, in about fourteen four-teen days, they have turned into tho full grown, hard shelled aduIL 'This adult feeds on -the stems, leaves and buds for several weeks and In August goes Into hibernation for the winter, seeking 'any well sheltered place. "The insect now occurs In Salt Lake, Davis, Weber. Morgan, Summit, Wasatch, Utah and Tooele counties, and threatens to eventually reach all our alfalfa growing regions. It spreads rapidly In the adult or beetle stago by flying in spring and summer and by being carried with nrticles shipped from an inrested region, and on railronds, in Wagons and automobiles, automo-biles, traveling through the places where It occurs. Telle How to Fight It. "It is recommended that alfalfa be disced In early spring to sUmulato It to bettor growth. That the first growth be cut when the most of tho, eggs have been laid (middle of May) and then brush drag the field thoroughly thor-oughly "Sheep may be pastured on the fields at this time for two weeks, and alfalfa thon watered and a good crop, will usually, be nssurod. ; "Gathering machines to capture the larvae and beetles havo given good results when used on the fields at the time the insects are most numerous. "Fields should be brush dragged again after the first crop, has been' cut. "Ail weeds and rubbish should he i cleaned from fields, yards, ditches and fence rows so that there will be less1 opportunity for the weevils to find winter shelter. "Alfalfa should not bo allowed to grow -more than seven or eight years in infested districts." |