Show SPRAYING SAVES ALFALFA FROM WEEVIL almalta Al talta lalla that croup upon i which thousands of stockmen stoc kmen lad and dairymen depend tor for a luxuriant supply of feed lins been threatened in many sections by the ravages of tho the alfalfa a weevil this pest is responsible for the loss of hundreds of thousands of dollars annually to alfalfa growers J in utah colliado Coloia do and wyoming bul there is a remedy a suro sure one which seven years of e experimental peri mental work by tile buican of entomology united states department of agriculture has demonstrated will when properly applied as completely destroy the weevil as tile weevil alien unmolested will destroy the alfalfa crop tho the cost of applying tho the remedy is ib trifling when compared with the results it consists in spraying with arsenical solution the proper aepli ca of which is described in farmers bulletin iise spraying for tile the alfalfa weevil just published by the united states department of agriculture seldom has any newly recommended method of insect control been so thoroughly safeguarded against failure as alfalfa weevil spraying say entomologists of the department every season tor for seven years it has been tested and proved successful during ono one season field trials were conducted in operation cooperation co with farm blicaus in tho the course of which over 1000 acied were successfully sprayed by practical farmers tar far meis many of whom without experience in any kind of spraying the farm bureau news of sevier county utah reports a saying saving of by this means and estimates from other sources raise the total to the spray can call be made with al ai senate of lead or arsenate of zinc both of which have been used with complete success where arsenate of lead is used the poison is weighed or measured for use at tho the rate of to ONO pounds of oc powder or four pounds of commercial paste to each gallons of water it is prepared by the poison in a little water until it becomes a thin paste without lumps it is then diluted and strained and two pounds of 0 laundry soap which assists in making tho the solution spread more readily and stick to the leaves is added is practically no danger of burning the foliage of alfalfa to be most effective tho the spray should be mixed just using and kept stirred up so as to prevent the settling and wasting of the poison on and clogging of the pipes in the spray pump care should also be taken to keep out all dirt and lint which interfere with willi the free passage of the solution through the spray nozzle ic it is important that tho the spray be applied at the proper time which is when the young larvae of tho the weevil become so numerous that they completely destroy the growing tips and thus stop the growth of the alfalfa plants Sp spraying before this time will fall fail to catch all or of the weevil and if tile the application is delayed the pest will destroy so much of the crop that it will be beyond recovery in III the field infested with the weevil the tops of the plants are as white as it they had been frost bitten the injury inbur spreads downward and before the normal cutting time if the field is allowed to stand the whole plant is bare of leaves and the green cover has been stripped from tile the stems steins before this state is reached or usually about one to two weeks before the first crop is ready for cutting is ilie the proper time for spraying if the larvae have been poisoned through spraying of the first crop the second crop sprouts lad and grows grons without delay and no further treatment is necessary As the proper time for spraying is limited it is essential that all preparations such as securing the spray material and overhauling or repairing tile the spray machinery be done in advance spray nozzles designed to give a misty spray sometimes called hollow cone edy chamber chambor cyclone whirlpool and cover spray nozzles are best for this work since the purpose is to make a fine even coating of poison upon tho the upper foliage where the larvae usually feed the character of the spray produced by a nozzle of this type depends principally tile the pressure with pre pressures below 75 pounds many of the spray particles collect into drops and roll off the foliage A As the pressure increases the spray baray becomes finer and covais tho the foliage more completely ely As tho the success ot the work depends largely upon covering as nearly as possible all of tile the sprayed foliage tho pressure should not fall below 75 and might well be kept at more pounds the typo type and size of splay pump used depends upon tho the area which is to be covered any pump with brass lining 1 valve and pistons capable of delivering four fifths of a gallon or more per minute and maintaining a pressure pios sure of 75 pounds can ho be used for this purpose thy the best resu results its have been obtained with nobles working two wo feet above the alfalfa each nozzle is as it moves across aci as the held field i spray praying inga a strip two feet wide the spray pump should be i emulated to deliver gallons of spray mixture per acre at this rate tho th actual cost of spraying I 1 is about si 1 por per acre of which idich approximately go cents is charged to tile the poison tho the spraying of alfalfa for tile the v weevil does docs not injure the crop tor lor feeding ani and will not harm farm animals many ot of tile tho cattle which arp are red fed upon it probably take in more ai I 1 senate 1 I ate avit with 1 I their dini di inking king water than with their hay a and rid as for th the e lead content few of them would under ann any y circumstances live long enough to show the least effect of it according to tile the bulletin billic till U S dept of agriculture |