OCR Text |
Show Leaf Hopper Is Blamed for Stunting Alfalfa The yellowing and stunting of the second growth of alfalfa so prevalent last year was not due to "sun burn" as commonly anticipated but to an Insect In-sect foe of alfalfa, according to L. F. Graber, University of Wisconsin authority au-thority on alfalfa. "This Insect, the leaf hopper," said Graber, "is a tiny but potent foe of alfalfa, causing stunting and marked yellowing of the second growth, yet infestations and Injury are easily controlled. con-trolled. Our findings have definitely shown that the simple expedient of delayed cutting of the first crop Is the effective remedy." It is hard to believe but nevertheless neverthe-less true that a matter of deferring cutting of the first growth from six to twelve days will increase the seasonal yields by as much as a ton per acre because it reduces the number of leaf-hoppers leaf-hoppers that will appear In the next growth, Graber asserted. Leafhoppers do not appear In the first growth until spring and by deferring de-ferring the cutting until about the end of June the insect will lay the bulk of Its eggs in the first growth so that they may be removed in and with the hay. This protects the next crop, he declared. |