256 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



While this Ix'cth* was jjiobably to be found sparinjfly clistiil)\itc(l over the State,, 

 most of tlie eoinphiints eaiiie from two rejjions; first, the re;,M(m about Benton lIarl)or. 

 Ixitli to the noilli anil soiith: and second, about Bay City. They were first noticed! 

 about the middle of .Tune and eontiniied in evidence for several weeks. 



At the request of Mr. H. C. Rockwell, Secretary of the Wolverine Beet Sufjar Co., 

 one or two fields in the vicinity of Buchanan were visited. The beets were, at that 

 time, from one-half inch to six inches tall, and healthy in aj)])earance except for the 

 attacks of this beetle and the etfect of a lonp drou<,dit. the soil in these fields beinj? 

 .sandv. The farms of Mr. Clias. I'ears and Mr. ('has. Bishoj) were visited. The insects 

 seemed to prefer the low places, completely denuding areas one-half acre in extent, and 

 nearlv ruinin<r the rest. On Mr. Pears' place the loss was estimated at 50 per cent; 

 this was the most severely damajred place seen. The beetle was here found to be 

 associated with another flea-beetle, blue in color and larfjer, know as the trian<rle flea- 

 beetle {Disonyriia //•unif/i//(ni.s) . 



Beside beets, the beetle was found working on potato, sorrel, and ])ifjweed, and 

 appeared also to be working on smartweed and corn. It is said to love ragweed 

 especially and also landj's-cjuarter (Chcnopodium) . purslane and white clover, as well" 

 as some members of the mustard family. No doubt it works on other plants. 



On the 27th of June, a visit was made to the farm of Mr. Geo. Ziejiler of Bay City, 

 at the request of Hon. Eugene Fitield, of that place. In company with Mr. Fifield, the 

 place was visited, and several sprays applied by way of experiment. The work of the 

 beetles about Bay City was much the same as tjuit about Benton Harbor, except that it 

 was not so bad and was more patchy in character. 



The effect of a large nund)er of these beetles is easily seen, the young plants are 

 browned and withered : on examination, they show that the surface of the leaf, either 

 the upi)er or the lower surface, is eaten out in patches, leaving the remainder to dry 

 up and fall out, showing at last only a ragged hole. 



The life history of this interesting insect has not yet been recorded. It is known 

 that the larva is a small, slender, worm-like insect which feeds on the roots of certain 

 plants, probably largely on wieeds. Clean culture, from this fact, is clearly indicated. 



All the severe injury, thus far, has be€'n during dry weather, and it is hoped that in- 

 an ordinary season, the damage will be greatly reduced. Fortunately the danger from 

 it is confined largely to the early part of the season, while the plants are young, and at 

 this time it is not too late to re-seed if absolutely necessary. 



REMEDIES. 



A number of attempts were made to apply sprays for the purpose of proving their 

 efficacy, but ill luck attended every effort. The writer would start out. with a clear 

 sky overhead and every appearance of continued settled weather, and advise several 

 test sprays, or if possible ai)ply them himself, when the sky v«ould iiiiiiK'diately cloud 

 over and rain fall, sometimes for several days, washing off all the poison and sometimes 

 drowning the insects: but what is more important, leaving us without the information 

 sought. Owing to this state of affairs, it became necessary to draw on the results 

 obtained in other states. 



In response to a letter addressed to Prof. Lawrence Bruner, of Nebraska State Uni- 

 versity, who has worked many years on sugar beet insects, the following reply was 

 received, in part: "In reply I would state that we have had very little experience 

 in fighting the pale flea-beetle {Hystcnn taeninta var. hlnnrla). Several years ago, 

 this insect appeared in rather large numbers on sugar beets early in the j'ear and 

 was handled at that time by the use of both kerosen6 emulsion and Paris green sprays. 

 Of the two, Paris green seemed to be by far the more successful, though this insect 

 seldom appears except for a week during the time when the beets are quite small." 



From the foregoing it will be seen that the beetle is not a regular visitor in Nebraska 

 and possibly may prove not to be here. It thrives best in hot, , dry weather and 

 early in the season. When it appears, the best course to pursue, until further experi- 

 ence has taught us better, is to spray with Paris green, using one pound to one hundred 

 and seventh-five gallons of water and adding one pound of quicklime. See directions, 

 for mixing on page 139. ; 



