698 THE MONTHLY BULLETIX. 



of the alfalfa caterpillar were found dead hanging to the alfalfa stalks, 

 as the result of this disease. 



Renovating alfalfa lielcls during the winter months will not only be 

 of material benefit to the alfalfa itself, but will destroy large numbers 

 of the hibernating pup£B. Pasturing the alfalfa fields will also aid in 

 the destruction of the resting stage of this insect. 



TRUCK CROP INSECTS. 



Fall Plowing as a Cutworm Remedy. 



An excellent example of fall plowing, as a method for control of cut- 

 worms on sugar beets, was observed near a small town in Salt Lake 

 County, Utah, by the writer, in the spring of 1912. Several acres of 

 sugar beets were planted that year, part of which were on soil plowed 

 the previous fall and the remainder on land plowed several weeks 

 before planting. Practically 75 per cent of the sugar beets on the 

 spring plowed land were killed by the cutworms, while a good stand 

 was secured in the fall plowed portion of the field. The question 

 arises, did fall plowing pay? 



The Tomato Worm. 



Various reports of the damage to tomatoes by the corn ear worm, 

 Heliothis ohsoleta, have been received by the State Insectary force, 

 particularly from the field agents of the Libby, McNeil and Libby 

 canning plant at Sacramento. The worms eat large holes in the fruit, 

 l)ringing on decay. From the present equipment for washing tomatoes 

 in the canning factories, it is not advisable to spray the tomato vines 

 with any form of arsenic in the hope of killing the worms as they 

 endeavor to enter the tomatoes. 



The use of an early trap crop, as well as early maturing varieties, the 

 hand-picking of infested tomatoes to prevent the worms spreading, fall 

 plowing of infested ground, and the proper disposal of unsalable, 

 infected tomatoes, will go a long way to protect the next year's crop. 



FUNGOUS DISEASES OF PLANTS. 



Spraying for Peach Blight. 



As a remedy for the peach blight fungus, the California Experiment 

 Station in Bulletin No. 191, recommends spraying, betM'een October 25th 

 and November 25th, with Bordeaux mixture, using 30 pounds blue- 

 stone, 35 pounds lime, to 200 gallons of water. This fungus begins its 

 work in the fall and the peach trees must be sprayed at that time. The 

 disease causes dead spots to appear on the young shoots during the 

 winter months, particularly at the buds. The buds are killed, together 

 with much of the young growth.^ 



In February, the use of lime-sulphur solution of Bordeaux mixture, 

 20-20-200, will control the peach-leaf curl fungus. This fungus curls 

 the leaves, which afterwards fall, together with some of the fruit. 



'Bulletin No. 218, California Exp. Sta., p. 1149. 



