THE MONTHLY BULLETIN. 



297 



where pasturing is practicable it will solve the alfalfa weevil problem. Soiling the 

 crop gives the same result as pasturing if the crop is cut before the eggs hatch to 

 any great extent. 



( Iwing to the fact that the alfalfa weevil is an introduced pest, it is remarkably 

 free from attack by natural enemies, 

 although an occasional case of attack by 

 native species has been recorded. A fungous 

 disease destroys the weevil to a slight 

 extent in Utah. One parasite from [taly, 

 which the writer was able to ship to I tali 

 when studying the alfalfa weevil in Europe 

 for the U. S. Bureau of Entomology in 

 1912, has become established and seems to 

 be doing good work. Mr. Reeves, in charge 

 of the weevil investigations, has the follow- 

 ing to say regarding this parasite: 



•'As high as 30 per cent of the larvte 

 present in midsummer were found to be 

 parasitized, and it is possible to collect 

 parasite cocoons for wider distribution 

 without difficulty. Outside of the artificial 

 colonies the parasite has spread spontane- 

 ously almost as widely, and it now 

 in this way throughout the Weber Valley. 

 which is approximately parallel to Salt 

 Lake Valley and from ten to thirty miles 

 distant from it. It is still too early to say 

 how valuable the parasites will be as a means of control, but a certain amount ot 

 usefulness is demonstrated beyond doubt, and there are great possibilities. ' 



Fig. 98. — Bathyplectes sp., a para- 

 site of the alfalfa weevil. Adult fe- 

 male; lateral view of abdomen of same 

 below, at right. Enlarged. (U. S. 

 Dept. Agr > 



QUARANTINES. 

 The California State Commission of Horticulture early appreciated the dangerous 

 nature of this pest which threatened her fifty-million-dollar crop of alfalfa, and 

 quarantine measures were taken to prevent its introduction. A quarantine order 

 was issued in 1912 against the pest, and this order has since been improved by 

 amendments. Arizona. California. Idaho and Montana maintain quarantine regula- 

 tions against the alfalfa weevil, Idaho quarantining two of her own counties. Quar- 

 antine "regulations of the several states present considerable variation due to the 

 difference in opinion of the various quarantine officers. A conference was held last 

 summer, however, at which representatives of seven Western States were in attend- 

 ance, and as a result of this meeting more uniform action has been and will be taken. 

 It seems, to those who have given the subject close study, that the absolute quaran- 

 tining of hay and straw, with restrictive measures against potatoes in sacks, emigrant 

 movables, live stock in cars, and nursery stock, would close the most important 

 avenues of entrance. The quarantining of alfalfa seed and bees m lines is con- 

 sidered unjustifiable. 



While the alfalfa weevil is certainly a pest to be Eeared, we in California may take 

 some comfort in the fact that during the thirteen years the pest has existed in 

 America not a single long jump has occurred in its distribution. Even in the 

 infested states it has not traveled more rapidly along the railroads than elsewhere, 

 although the adult beetles have been taken countless times from Pullman and Ereight 

 cars. Still we must bear in mind that it succeeded some way in making the jump 



from Europe to Utah and it certainly might moi asily make its way into California 



from the infested states. We have considered, from the fact that trains inn directly 

 from the infested regions to alfalfa fields in southern California via the Salt Lake 

 Route that it would be more likely to sain a foothold there than elsewhere, bu1 

 though the commission has had those fields inspected annually by men who know the 



weevil when they see it, no trace of it has as yet been discovered. With tl fficient 



quarantine methods of the Commission of Horticulture, it is not too much to hope 

 that our suite can !»■ kept indefinitely free from this pest. 



