REPORT OF ENTOMOLOGIST 



\V. E. Hinds 



Auburn, Ala., November 13, 1917. 

 Prof. J. F. Duggar, Director, 

 Experiment Station, 

 Auburn, Ala. 

 Sir: 



Herewith I give you a report of Entomological work in hand. 



Adams Projects: 1. Rice Weevil. Continued investi- 

 gations in field and laboratory, confirming conclusions as to 

 simple, practicable, effective methods of control aside from in- 

 secticidal methods. Indications that over half of prospective 

 loss of over $10,000,000 in present Alabama crop of 80 to 90 

 million bushels of corn might be saved by general practice of 

 (A) gathering all early maturing corn with husks on within 

 six weeks after it reaches "roasting ear stage" so as to remove 

 practically all of first generation before spread can occur to lat- 

 er maturing corn. Use trap rows or plots to concentrate this 

 fiist generation. (B) Selecting seed ears from the stalks in 

 the field in the fall, keeping only such as have (a) good, long, 

 tight-fitting husk, (b) of prolific type, (two or more ears per 

 stalk) (c) ears pendent when mature, (d) more careful se- 

 lection later for grain and all other characters. (C) Harvesting 

 main crop corn as soon as thoroughly mature, breaking ears 

 from the shuck as they are gathered, thus leaving 75 per cent, 

 of adult insects in the field, separating infested from uninfested 

 ears as they are thrown into wagon body and storing separate- 

 ly later. Feed out, fumigate or otherwise dispose of infested 

 corn first. Uninfested ears may be stored in even open pole 

 cribs with good roofs, with little damage. (D) Avoid storing 

 with shuck on and, especially, using salt which increases, in- 

 stead of decreases, insect damage. (E) Fumigation with carbon 

 disulphide in tight room or bin or barrels for seed corn, cow- 

 peas, wheat, etc. in early storage season — on warm days only. 



Results of this project work are applicable throughout cot- 

 ton belt especially and if generally practiced might easily save 

 corn, etc. worth this year something like $10,000,000. I con- 

 sider this now one of the most important subjects for Ex- 

 tension Work in the South. 



