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Show RED MITES HURT MM IDAHO j Great Damage Done But Expert Ex-pert Says Pest Can Be Controlled BOISE. Ida.. July 1 7 Appearance of red mites In Wheat field over a large area of southern Idaho this year Is without precedent in the United Slates, according to Information obtained ob-tained from the 1'nlled States bureau of entomology by Claude Wakoland. extrusion entomologist of the University Univer-sity of Idaho. Although this pest has been 10 severe se-vere us lo take virtually half the crop In some sections, Mr. Wakoland says it can br controlled If the farmers will adhere strictly to proven dry farm practice In cailng for their land Suggestions for plowing stubble land, summer fallowing and cleaning up waste patches of mound are contained In the following statement by Mr Wnlicland, whlen also describe the rfllte and the extent lo which it haa spread In southern Idaho. t onmdi RABLE INJURY. Thl5 yeur a pest new to this Ktalc has been doing considerable Injury to grain crops, wheat especially. In southeastern Idaho It was first reported re-ported from the Vlclntt) of Franklin In Franklin county and Subsequent Investigation In-vestigation discloses the i act that It occurs generally througnout Hnnnock, franklin and Oneida counties in varying numbers- Isolated specimens of the same mite have been observed in Cassia county and as fur north us Madison. It has been impossible to make examinations in other counties of the state, but It is not at all Improbable Im-probable that the mite has u consid-erablj consid-erablj larger distribution than that noted. The adult mite is a very minute. eighi-i gged creature, which In badly Infested iidds is present literally by the millions. The general color la rusty brown, though colors of individuals indi-viduals vary from dull green to almost al-most scarlet Un closer examination It may be noted thst extending lengthwise length-wise along the buck the color is a mottled green, hord.rcd on either side b the duiker red or brown shades. Mot i ll si t S W. The mouth parts of the mite are fitted for piercing the plant tissues and extracting the sap. l-'rom a distance, dis-tance, badly infested wheat plants assume as-sume a yellow, sickly appearance and when viewed closely reveal white, mottled streaks. Growth is stunted and plants become so dry that they mak- a rustling sound when touched or blown by the wind. Fields observed early In June looked aa though they could not possibly produce pro-duce a crop. These fields are now comparatively free from mltes, due probably to the effect of ruins or light showers, they are headed out, but litjury Is still apparent and It Is H ife to estimate the reduced v leld in some of them are at least one-half of the crop. Y o are Informed by the United States bureau of entomology that this severe; infestation ol wheut by mites j is without precedent in the United I States The Injury occurred over such! u large area and developed so rapidly in Idaho this scar that control has been out of the qu stlon and work has been carried on with the idea in mind of formulating practical methods meth-ods of preventing a recurrence of the Injury In future years. MORE Mils vi K It Is probable that mites were dls-I dls-I trlbuted generally througnout gialn ! Ilelds in southern Idaho lajt year, but j not In sufficient numbers to cause injury in-jury or to draw the attention of furmcrs to their presence. They are so extremely small that they could be scattered throuKhout a grain field by thousands and to unnoticed unb.'ss Interest In-terest were drawn to them through Injurious effects upon wheut plants. It is true that this year we have mites In many grain fleLds where they are I doing no Injury and where their presence pres-ence is not suspected by the fanners. Furthermore, it is not Improbable I that mltes have existed on wheat In this state during other years In the p.'ijt, but owing to some favorable combination of climatic conditions have become a pest only during thv last year. It Is definitely known thut mltes In geiierul thrive best during periods of dry weather. Their great abundance this season ma bo partially par-tially due to the very long dry B last year. It Is worthy of note that this year, since raln3 have occurred on some of the extremely severely Infested In-fested fields, very few mltes can be found. ix FCn ki: YEARS Significant lo the fact that severe Injury to wheat this year has occurred only on lund that was cropped last summer and reseeded to fall or to spring whoat. Also. Injury lo fall ' wheat Is greater than to spring wheat on this same land. In absolutely no! Instance, observed or reported, has severe Injury occurred on land that; vvus summer fallowed last year. It Is true that mltes can be found generally this year on wheut sown on i land that was fallowed lust season, 1 but they are not numerous, are not! doing Injury and they probably spread from other land. It cannot bo said definitely that this pest will be a menace to wheat in future years. Knowing that It Is dte-j Irlbuted over hundreds of thousands of acres of the best wheat lands In Idaho; that, with weather conditions' favorable to It, It Is likely to do far! more Injury tn future years and bc- lbvlng that Injury from it can be prevented by rational farm practice, we make the following recommendations recommenda-tions to the grain growers, especially; on dry land: 1. Plow stubble land this year as soon as possible after wheat Is re-1 moved. Practice summer fallow or plant to cultivated crops for one summer sum-mer before reseedlng to wheat. 2. If you feel you must reseed to wheat this fall, plow grain land as' soon as possible after removal of crop I this year and keep ground thoroughly cultivated as long as poosible before, seeding. This practice should Insure) the death of many mltes by taking away green food on which they may exist. J. Burn or clean up needs and grasses along fence rows and waste patches of ground. The mile bus been found on several species of nutlve. grasses this yuar and It Is Hot Improbable Im-probable that It will harbor over on them until another season. TRUSTS to PROVIDENCE. Prospects of high prices for wheat have tempted tho dry farmer to plant largo acreages and trust to chance that a kind provldenco would furnish the necessary' moljilure, to mature crops on land which uls already been cropped too continuously and on which no precaution has been taken to conserve moisture. Summer fallowing fal-lowing and spring cultivation are noteworthy by their absence In grain sections which are worst injured by mltes. Par less Injury would have oc- slsiiiiiiiisiiiiiiiiisiiiii curred had there been enough moisture mois-ture stored in the soil to icplenlsh that taken by the mltes. A strict adherence ad-herence to proven dry-farm practice Offers the best solution to th problem prob-lem of how to svold a recurrence of unneccasry losses In future ear |