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Show II INSECTS INJURh : OUS TO BEETS 8 ', ! Every year tbero 1b tin Increase In m j i the number of beet sugar factories, B ,1,1 with a corresponding Incrcaso In acre- M H i age grown to sugar beets In tho B ,. I I I United States. Of this acreage TG H I! per cent Is divided among tbrca states M i' ( ' Colorado, California, and Miclil- B ij I gan. The estimated value ot the su- BBjJ 'j1 J gar beet crop, or tho beet sugar pro- H j I duct, for 1010, Is $50,000,000. This BjJ h I value would undoubtedly have been I R J higher It atmospheric conditions, ! , j, combined with Insect attack, had not (.ij reduced It. Assuming tho very con- BjJ, Ml scrvatlvo estimate of 10 per cent loss H '11' duo to Insect damage, tho Injury by I 'j 1. 1 Insects results In a loss to the grower Si! .if nml factories of $5,000,000. Assum H M I Ing a loss of 20 per cent, which Is ' j ij I M authoritatively estimated for tablo BK ' i j ' beets and other root crops, wo suffer H' i j J nn annual loss of $10,000,000 from HI' ' J ' j ' Insect rncages. 'i . Different Insects nro tho prlmnry V ' ! : . pests In different regions. For exam- Bj i pic, In southern. California wire- HB -. ' . worms aro among tho most important jf, J pests; in Utah, Idaho, and Colorado B! !) I . tho curly-top leafhoppcr and web- PB j I I worms nro very Injurious; In tho BBt p1 j Northwest tho boot aphis 1b a most PBj! L ' destructive pest; In some seasons tho BHJ i beet army worm causes great losses; BBj f in the most eastern beet-growing BBJ' t states, from Michigan to Kansas, BHjfiJ )'' grasshoppers are very destructive; in BBjHi j1 tho north, white grubs aro trouble- BBi Ml t some; and southward, flea-beetles 'i J ''I and blister beetles do great damage. BH ,) J Cutworms aro Injurious practically PBj! .,, I" everywhere and in some seasons nro BBJI 1 M( much more destructive than In others. BHj i Damages duo to cutworms during tho BHj i i ' years 1910 and 1911, to sugar beets BH'i and truck crops, reached Into the BH j', hundreds of thousands of dollars. In BH', ' their occurrence In sugar beet fields BK cutwormB have been successfully BK ',. I treated, by experts of the U. S. Du- BK r1' j reau of Entomology, by tho appllca- BK ' tion of poisoned baits. A good pots- BH h oned bait may be prepared as follows: BB j ' Take a bushel of dry bran, add one BB j.1 pound of arsenic or parts green, and BB i 'J mix It thoroughly Into a mash with BB , I , eight gallons of water, In which ha3 BBJ f' I j . been stirred half a gallon ot sorghum ft or other cheap molasses. After tho ( j j I mash has stood several hours, scat- BBJ ,i j ter it in lumps of about tho size ot n BB ' marble over the fields whero injury BB J i Is beginning to appear and about tho BB .' bases of tho plants set out. Apply BB late In tho day so as to protect tho BB , plants over night, which Is tho tlmo BBf when the cutworms aro active. Repeat BBJ it necessary. BBi ' In soiuo cases, whero tho cutworms BBl (' , j nro unusually numerous and It might BBJ ' I require too long a tlmo to prepare BB ? . and apply tho baits which have been BBJ 1 advised, equally good success has BBJ been obtained by spraying the young BBJ , plants with aruenato of lead at the BVB i rato ot four pounds to fifty gallons of BB ji ' water. This spraying should bo rc- BBf ' ' pcatcd as found necessary. BB i , When cutworms devour In serious BB , ' abundance, which hnppens In somo BBJ ' seasons, they migrate from ono field BBJ ' to another, assuming what Is called BP 1 I tho army-worm habit. While tho BB ' , ' methods which have been advised uro BB i ' j ! valuablo In such cases, they nro too BB ; ' slow to destroy all tho cutworms and, BB , '. -wo therefore have to employ other BB ' methods. These Include trenching, H; j ditching, tho plowing ot deep furrows BB ( In ndvnnco of tho traveling cutworms Bj( t ; to entrap them, and tho dragging of BB r! . i logs or pieces ot brush through the BH furrows. If tho trenches can bo fill- BB , ( ' cd with water tho addition ot a small BB- i quantity of kerosene so as to form BB " ' i a, thing scum on tho surface will prova BB 1 i fatal. Theso remedies nro also np- BB' I pllcablo to tho beet nrmy worm and BB' i ' , species of similar habits. BB As a preventive ot injury by ait- BB1 worms and army worms, cleon cultur- BBk' I nl methods and rotation of crops are B advisable, also fall plowing and disk- BBB Ing. Cutworms, army worms, and BBB I many other insect pests nro destroyed BBHj whero it is possible to overflow tho Bj I flolds. This is particularly uppllcablo BBI ( whero Irrigation Is practiced. PaclIIc BMB Homestead. HHB-1 |