Show ALFALFA PEST weevil causing great destruction in northern part of description of it after another year of experimenting with the alfalfa leaf weevil which is iava savaging ging the lucerne fields of utah prof E G titus of the agriculture college has prepared a bulletin of his findings this is being distributed by the college and is of much interest to farmers it is shown in the report that there w was wis is a loss last near ear on a greater part of the salt lake county acreage of 80 per cent and over of the first crop or about tons of the are area in summit county about tv 0 thirds or 2000 tons and of that in davis county about one half or 2000 tons had bad from 40 to 60 50 per cent loss on the first crop a few fields in the former county being as seriously injured as tho the worst ones in salt lake county in summit county says the report where the alfalfa fields olten contain considerable timothy N which hieb somewhat shades the alfalfa the weevils do not do so much damage on the remainder of the area infested the loss was only nominal on the first fint crop since it wag was the first i 3 ear of infestation it is shown that the weevil is one of the main causes of the rapid advance in the price of hay bay in the bulletin professor titus takes up the life history of the weevil abow showing 1 ing its development from the larvae to the fully developed deN de eloped insect showing how bow it attacks the alfalfa plant and how efforts have been made to destroy it pictures are shown in the bulletin of the sweeping process which raises a dust and chokes the weevil it ia is shown th that thit it by use of a common street sweeping machine a fine fi no cloud of dust can be raised which either kills hills the insect outright or so affects it that it dies later in 1910 11 the report sas the spring infestation Bon thard aspre spread id from th tho 0 salt sal t lake county line to three miles below provo to the north it probably covered all the centory from centerville Cent erville to the southern p part art of weber county the author took tool weevils and larvae in fields in weber county north of roy on june 27 the summit county infestation is slowly spreading and while the alfalfa districts are somewhat isolated it N will ill be but a short time before it readies reaches weber county countr from the east cast side it is probable that it has liis been in parts of morgan county for two 3 sears en rs since the infestation this year is quite severe at and in the porterville district athe the acreage at present seriously infected is about as follows salt lake county acres all of area summit county 1600 1500 acres seven eighths eight hs davis county 2500 acres all utah counte 2000 one third tooele thoele county acres one half morgan county SOO acres acrea one half ball and weber county 40 acres the weevils have been found from the lower lover levels of the vallois alley a feet to the tops of tho the dividing mountain chains feet qt it occurs throughout all of salt lake county including the canyons opening from the mountain ranges on each eule side into the valley especially is this true of such canyons as P parley migration sE city creek mill creek big cottonwood and little cottonwood the weevil has been found present where isolated clumps of alfalfa are growing wild through out the mountain and sagebrush districts of these regions the synopsis of tho the report on tho the weevil and its ravages is as follows the alfalfa leaf weevil is a small oval oal brown snout beetle about three sixteenths of an inch ions long that is attacking alf alfalfa alfa in utah it is not a native species but has come to utah from europe it feeds on plants belonging to the alfalfa family injuring all parts of the plant above ground the eggs are laid in the spring and early summer in the stem or on od tho the buds and leaves and hatch in about ten day the oung young or larvae are small alfalfa green worms with a black be head id they neer become much more than one quarter of an inch in length when full grown they feed on and in the leaf buds in the stock and on the leaves the larvel b have ive no true legs and have hive the habit of feeding or resting in a curled po position when full grown about fifty to sixty dava davs after hatching they go to the ground and spin around them a lace cocoon in which in about fourteen das they b have ivo turned I 1 into i n the full grown hard bard shelled adults it is 11 that alfalfa be disked in eary early spring to stimulate it to better growth that the first growth be cut when the most of the eggs have been laid middle of may and then brush drag the field thoroughly sheep may be pastured on the fields at this time for two weeks and alfalfa then watered and a good crop will usually be assured gathering machines to capture the larvae and beetles have given good results when used on the field at a time R when hen the insects are most numerous field should be brush dragged again after the first crop has been cut all weeds and rubbish should be cleaned from fields yards ditches and fence rova so that will be less opportunity for the weevils to find winter shelter alfalfa should not be allowed to grow more than seven or eight 3 5 ears in infested districts |