232 



THE MONTHLY BULLETIN. 



through decay, and the good potatoes were much more palatable to the 

 worms. It also pays to pick over the ground immediately around the 

 potato. Very often there will be more there than in the potato itself. 

 In order to secure definite cost data for all operations concerned, one 

 acre was put in on the Donlon ranch in a badly infested field, and the 

 exact cost of each operation noted. The picking was done partly by the 

 writer and partly by Armenians. The rows were put in 15 feet apart 

 and potatoes 6 feet apart in the row. It is thought that these figures will 

 more than cover the average expense of treatment under average field 

 conditions and with an average degree of infestation. 



Cutting potatoes and affixing wires, 1 man li hours at 20 cents $0 80 



Planting (with a 1-hole planter), 2 men and team f hour 



Cost of potatoes (including replants), 12 lbs. at 2 cents 



April 26. picking, 1 man 4 hours 1,038 worms- 



April 30, picking. 1 man IJ hours 1,556 worms- 



May 3, picking, 1 man 4^ hours 788 worms- 



May 10, picking, 1 man 4J hours 877 worms. 



May 15, picking, 1 man 4 hours . 1,072 worms- 



Total worms - 5,331 



Total cost- 



no 

 25 



SO 

 90 

 85 

 85 

 SO 



$5 25 



In checking over the results obtained on this one-acre plot, carefvd 

 examination failed to show one single bean that had been injured by 

 the worms. 



After the beans were up and definite wireworm spots had been 

 formed, the potato catch-crop was used in several instances in an 

 effort to limit the size of the spot. The worms apparently will not 

 leave the bean to feed on the potato ; neither will they leave the potato 

 to feed on the bean. By placing the potatoes around the outer edges 

 of the spot and in the row with the beans, we were able to catch large 

 numbers of worms, and Ave believe that we limited the size of these 

 spots materially in this way. Efforts to catch the w^orms in the centers 

 of these spots were not so successful, possibly because the worms had 

 already relieved their hunger to a large extent from feeding on the 

 beans. 



It is impossible to set any definite figures on the amount saved 

 through this potato work, owing to the fact that there was no pos- 

 sible way of establishing definite checks. The writer has ventured 

 to insert the following table for consideration. These figures, while 

 authentic, should not be misunderstood. Variations in the seasons and 

 other factors enter in, but it is believed that a good substantial por- 

 tion of the increase in yield shown w^as due to the control of the wire- 

 worms : 



Name 



Acre- 

 age 



Acre- 

 age 

 treated I 



Before 



treatment. 

 100-11). 

 sacks 



After 



treatment. 



100-lb. 



sacks 



Money 

 value 



Johnson Bros. . 

 Donlon Bros. - 

 James Leonard 

 James Leonard 



$1,485 00 

 2,695 50 



♦9,787 50 

 til. 767 50 



J 1913. *1914. tl915, 



