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About The gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925 | View Entire Issue (July 2, 1914)
19 Growing Good Potatoes in the Pacific Northwest Some Ideas on the Homely "Spud" by Men Who Know Whereof They Write. HOME AND FARM MAGAZINE SECTION 3 8 This is the fifth of a scries of 3 articles discussing potato grow- ing. By 0. M. MOEEIS, Horticulturist; J. 0. HALL, Plant Pathologist, and M. A. TOTHEES, Asst. Entomologist, at Washington Experiment Station.' WUCII damage is done annually by cut worms to potato vines in many parts of the state. Al though they, like the grasshoppers and wire worms, are not especially fond of potatoes, yet they are very general feed ers and often do considerable damage. They work at night and hide in the soil in the day time a few inches beneath the surface, where it is often difficult to find them, owing to their close re eemblanco to the soil. There are many different kinds of cut worms, but their work is much the Bame and to the un trained eye they look much alike. Fig. 1 gives an idea as to their general ap- kinds of crops. Their injury to the po tato consists in the destruction of the leaves and stems. During the season of 1913 there was the most serious out break of grasshoppers, in certain dis tricts along the Columbia and Snake rivers within the memory of the earli est inhabitants. Fortunately, in most districts where the outbreak was very bad the season is quite early and the early potato crop was well along or nearly grown by the time the insects swarmed into the fields and gardens. For this reason little damage was done to early potatoes, but in many cases the lato potatoes Buffered severely, espe cially where the grasshoppers were very abundant, in which case they even de stroyed the vinos down to tho Burface of the ground. In many parts of the state grasshoppers are more or less abundant every year, but tbey are not numerous enough to be very destructive to a crop as thrifty as potatoes. AH of our especially destructive grass hoppers spend the winter in the egg stage in the ground. The eggs are from one-eighth to one-fourth of an inch in length, cylinderical, yellowish, and are Tig. 1. An Adnlt Moth; b, c, d, nearly Mature Worms; e, egg Greatly Enlarged; t. Eggs. All Natural Size Except e. pearance. When full grown the larvae average about an inch to an inch and a half in length and about one-fourth of an inch across. The adults of the cut worms are the ordinary grayish mottled winged moths so commouly seen in all parts of the country flying about lights at night in summer. The eggs are laid in the spring by the adult female moth. They are deposited on a great variety of plants, depending much upon the species of moth. The eggs hatch out into titiy cut worms which grow to matur ity, feeding the while on most kinds of gdrdrn crops, field crops and many kinds of weeds. They pass the pupal stage under ground, the dark brown chysilids being enclosed in earthen cells. There are several broods during the year, depending upon the climate and moTe or less upon the local weather con ditions. The winter is passed usually in tho pupal stage under ground, but some of the adult moths are often Been in winter, especially in our houses. Sometimes the winter is passed in the partly grown larval stage and when spring comes they are ready to feed upon the first green vegetation that ap pears. Contrcl Measures. Although many control measures have been devised for this pest from time to time there seems to be none that give perfect results. Clean culture is one of the mo3t effect ive remedies, however, and if consis tently followed will give a good meas ure of success. Flow infested land in tho fall to break up the pupal cells or bury and destroy tho over wintering caterpillars. The arsenical sprays, applied to the vines as directed for the potato beetles, will aid in protecting them from being eaten. One of the commonest treatments, however, and a very effective one, is to poison the worms with the poison bran mash as recommended for tho grass hoppers. Tho poison mask should bo scattered along the rows and not around thj field, for the worms are in the soil in the field. Grasshoppers. Several species of grasshoppers are well known b pests destructive to all deposited in compact masses of from fifteen to seventy in small pouches in the ground. These tiny paekets are made by the females with the tip of their abdomen and the eggs laid in them in a very exact position, the whole be ing sealed up with a frothy mass which Methods of Control The most effective methods of con- t.ol of grasshoppers on potatoes are the same as are employed for their control n general. ' First, find the breeding ground in the scab land or pasture in the fall and either plow up or burn over to destroy the eggs in the ground. Burning is more practicable for the bluffs and hillsides than plowing. It is unnecessary to try to burn over steep rocky hillsides devoid of vegetation in asmuch as tho grasshoppers do not lay their eetrs where there is nothing for the young to feed upon. In case the land can not be burned over or plowed in the fall it should be burned over in the spring just as soon as the grass gets dry enough for fire to travel in it, but before tho young grasshopper get their wings the last of June or the first of July. This treatment will destroy prac tically all of the young hoppers before thev are able to do any damage to tue crops and before they can fly away from the fire. Of course this treatment de stroys the pasturage for the rest of the summer, but where it is a matter of saving a very valuable crop it is no doubt preferable to lose tho pasturage than the crop. If the burning is done n the fall the pasturage is not injured for the next season. A machine has been devised called a hoDRcr-dozer" into which the young grasshoppers can be gathered and killed by contract with kerosene. This ma chine has become an important factor in the control of grasshoppers in many parts of the country. The "hopper dozer ' ' is constructed as shown in (Fig. 2), The sides and back can be made of sheet iron or oil cloth. The pan at the bottom to hold the kerosene should be made of tin or galvanized iron and about three inches deep. This machine is simply drawn across the fields and tho young hoppers, in trying to escape, jump into it and get wet with the kero sene and are killed. Many of the hop licrs will jump out, but once they are wet with the oil they are sure to die. This machine can only bo used on com paratively level land and for this rea son it is not as useful in this country as in Kansas and some of the other states where it has served so well. Where the grasshoppers arc already in the fields, orchards and gardens the best treatment is to poison them with a poison bran mash, the formula for whieh is as follows: Bran 25 pounds. Syrupy 1 gallon. Paris green 2 pounds. Mix the Paris green dry with the bran, then add the syrup dissolved in enough water to make a stiff mash when added to the bran. About three gallons of water will be sufficient. This bait should be scattered in and around the field and between tho rows of potatoes. Another formula, which has been used in California with very satisfactory re sults, is as follows: Bran 40 pounds. Syrup 2 gallons. Arsenic 5 pounds. The bran should be wet so that water can be squeezed out if held in the hand. After this stir in the syrup and then the arsenic. Stir thoroughly and then let stand over night, stirring again be fore applying on the field the next aay. Potato Dlants may be protected to a considerable extent by the application of the Bordeaux mixture. This serves as a repellant and tends to keep the hop pers off the plants. . Fig. 2. The Hopper Dozer. hardens somewhat and protects the eggs from injury. The eggs are, as a rule, about one-half to one inch under ground. The female erasshonner deposits her pcrcm in the fall, beginning about the ----- , first of August and continuing until the cold weather kills her. A single lemaie lays about two packets of eggs. Most nirira ore laid in vacant or little used pasture lands, scab land on the bluffs and hillsides, and in Janes ana aiong the roadsides. The etres begin to hatch in the spring as soon the vegetation starts well and tne weatner DCgins to get warm, and continue a couple of months, according to the species, but all of the eggs in a single pod hatch to gether. The young hoppers feed upon anv kind oi plant nearest to them. They are not very conspicuous during the early part of their lives, and do not at tract much attention until they get their wings about the first of July and mi grate into the fields, orchards end gar dens. There is but a single brood or ceneration in a year. Tho young hop pers hatch out in the spring and when full grown have wings. Tney continue tn feed and destroy the crops until lato summer and early fall, when they cease to feed very extensively. Alter mating, tho female lays her eggs and Doth male and female die with the approach of cold weather. 100 BEAUTIFUL AND COLORED POST CARDS Many Are Rich, Bare Pictures of Beautiful Models and Actresses Also a Self -Filling FOUNTAIN PEN All for only 50 cents fpnf hflrfrain in beautiful cards and rare art pictures ever offered. Many aro hard to obtain and have sold singly for the price we ask for all. These will go quickly to all lovers of the beautiful in nature who appreciate rare art pictures of well developed models. 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