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Show J"CURLEW BUG" IS A WIDESPREAD PEST "j , jilt- ,3Pi lb "Curlew Bug." A Corn Plant Attacked by Adult Insect. B Egg as Placed In Stem of Young Corn Plant, Enlarging at Left. C Pupa and Adult in Root of Corn, In Chamber Eaten Out by the Larva. Rotation or alternation of crops is a simple and efficient method of getting ride of the "curlew bug," a widespread pest in corn and rice fields. "Don t plant corn after corn or rice, or rice after corn" is a useful maxim to remember re-member in localities infested by the bug. The curlew bug, which is one of the so-called "Snout Beetles" or curculios, about half an inch long, is particularly fond of swamps and marshes where it feeds on large-stemmed grasses and sedges. Of cultivated crops, corn and rice most closely resemble its natural food and in consequence the bug is a menace to these crops in almost every state in the South and in large sections sec-tions of the middle West and Southwest South-west as well. It cannot live on the small grains or on such plants as cotton cot-ton or cowpeas. In consequence If Infested fields are planted to oats, rye, barley, cotton or cowpeas, the curlew bug disappears at once. In practice, cotton, cowpeas, or winter win-ter oats will probably be the best crops to use for this purpose in the South. In Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Mis-souri, southern Wisconsin and Arkansas, Arkan-sas, oats, rye, barley or cowpeas. After a year of one of these crops, the field can be planted again to corn. If the pest returns, a similar alternation should be resorted to once more. The curlew bug will remain in an infested cornfield throughout the winter win-ter and, if the field is planted to corn again, come out in the spring to feed upon the young corn plants. By means cf its long snout, at the end of which are situated the mouth and jaws, the beetle punctures the stem of the plant and thus either secures its food or deposits its eggs. Usually the' puncture punc-ture is made a little below the surface sur-face of the ground and extends into the crown of the plant. If the puncture punc-ture is made just above the root, the plant will throw up a number of "tillers" "til-lers" and "suckers," while the main stem itself will be without ears and stalky in appearance. In this respect the work of the curlew bug produces somewhat the same effect as that of the Hessian fly on a young wheat plant in the fall. If the puncture is made higher up on the stem, food is obtained from the folded leaves above the crown. When these leaves finally push forth, the effect of the puncture made by the beetle's snout is revealed by rows of holes across the leaves. Frequently ' there will also be a distorted dis-torted growth on the stem. While the damage done by the beetles bee-tles in feeding or laying their eggs is in many cases doubtless severe If the corn plants are very young at the time of attack they are probably destroyed de-stroyed in this way generally speak- ing the greatest damage is caused by the larvae hatching from the eggs, es-. pecially in the East. The grubs of this insect apparently can live without difficulty for a considerable length of time in the stems of plants that are completely covered by water. With these insects in full possession of a field, there does not appear to be any thoroughly practical and effective measure for preventing or overcoming their ravages, which frequently result in a total loss of the crop. While throwing up the soil or hilling up the young plants with the cultivator might prevent the beetles themselves from puncturing the stems low enough down to cause the plants to sucker or become be-come distorted, this is by no means assured. Helps for Peach Growths to Control Insect Pests. After a grower has pruned intelligently, intelli-gently, tilled and fertilized his orchard 'well, and irrigated it if that has been required, the orchard may be short lived and the crops financial failures if he neglects to give proper attention to the control of the insects and diseases dis-eases which habitually occur in his region. While it is true that there are some rather serious peach parasites which are regional in their occurrence and some of those which are widely disseminated remain unknown thus far in certain districts, it is likewise true that a considerable number of both insect pests and fungous diseases are to be found pretty nearly everywhere in the country in which peaches are grown. Every fruit grower should be In close touch with the agricultural experiment ex-periment station in his state, so that he can refer emergency matters there without delay. Not infrequently, the securing of information regarding the control of some insect pest that has become suddenly threatening or concerning con-cerning the most effective means of checking the spread of a disease hitherto hith-erto unknown results in saving what would otherwise be a serious loss. Inquiries relating to any phase of fruit growing may also be referred at any time to the United States department de-partment of agriculture, where without with-out cost, through the department's pathological, entomological, and other experts, as full information relative to the problems as can be given may be secured. The department's farmers' bulletin (No. 410) entitled, "Spraying Peaches for the Control of Brown Rot, Scab, and Curculio," will be sent to anyone requesting It. So also will farmers' bulletin (No. 632) entitled "Growing Peaches," which treats In detail of pruning, renewal of tops, thinning, interplanted crops, and special spe-cial practices. |