100 THE REPORT OF THE [ No. 19 



its original food plant seema quite conclusive from our experiments and observations. I 

 am of the opinion that red clover is its original food, and that it is, therefore, primarily 

 a clover pest. Without doubt it is a native American insect, and has spread its attacks 

 to crimson clover and field peas, as these two plants have encroached upon the feeding 

 ground of the louse. It spends the winter, at least in the South, as an adult in clover 

 fields. It may winter in another form farther north. 



It is barely possible that this insect has other food plants and lives over winter upon, 

 them, but clover is, no doubt, the main plant upon which it lives. Mr. F. H. Chittenden, 

 of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Division cf Entomology, in Washington, observed 

 this insect, or one very closely allied to it, feeding upon a number of species of vetches in 

 Washington this year. 



From a long series of experiments in the laboratory we have shown that there are 

 two kinds of females known at present, the winged and wingless forms. No male has as 

 yet been discovered, and perhaps in the South none exists, and the insect remains over 

 winter in the adult stage, as stated above, upon some plant, and in most instances this is 

 clover. The female produces living young which reach maturity in from ten to fifteen 

 days, and posdbly less time in hot weather. As an example, a young one born March 4 

 reached maturity (winged form) March 16, or 12 days from time of iDirth, and was pro- 

 ducing living young on March 19. From that date to April 17 it became the mother 

 of 111 young and then died. Her first young (wingless form), born March 19, reached 

 maturity and was producing on March 31, or eleven days from time of birth ; from that 

 date to April 13 she gave birth to 120 young and died. We have made many other 

 observations of a similar character, but this will suffice to show the rapid reproductive 

 powers of this insect, and we might state that in many instances where this insect was 

 first observed on May 1 , three weeks later the fields were abandoned on account of its 

 attacks. Calculated from the average number of insects produced per day (which is 6), in 

 six weeks one would become the progenitor of 423, 912. 



It was estimated last year that the total loss from the attacks of the creature along ' 

 the Atlantic Coast States was $3,000,000, and that the crop was only one-^alf the nsual 

 output. From information obtained from the largest growers, the most experienced seeds 

 men, and most extensive dealers in this line of business, " The Trade," a canned goods 

 journal published in Baltimore, has gathered the information that the crop of peas of the 

 Atlantic Coast this year will not exceed, on the outside, one-third of what it was last year. 

 This is about as serious as it can be, when it is taken into account that it is mostly due 

 to this one pest, and that it is certain to increase its destructive powers from year to year, 

 unless some factor in nature intervenes to check and retard its further development. 

 With this condition of affairs it is not strange that farmers have become thoroughly dis- 

 couraged and make the statement that they will be more c3kutious about planting peas for 

 market purposes, or for the packer, in the future. 



With this year's experience, however, we have ehown conclusively in our experiments 

 and practical ''vorks in the field that this insect can be kept in control to a very great ex- 

 tent if taken in hand in time. In the first place, the peas must be planted in rows 24 

 or 30 inches apart, and not broadcast or in drills, as has been the case over a wide area 

 throughout many of the Southern States. As an illustration of this we may cite an 

 instance on the place of Mr. C. H. Pearson, a large packer of Baltimore. His 600 acre 

 pea plantation was practically saved by persistent and energetic efforts on hia part this 

 season. All the methods from a practical standpoint were tried on this place, and it 

 was found that the brush anl cultivator method was the most effective. Forty men 

 were therefore engaged to work in the field, and the 600 acres were brushed and culti- 

 vated every third dmy for a period of two we^^ks, and in this manner the entire field was 

 saved, netting the owner from 25,000 to 30,000 cases of peas of 2 dozen each. It is a 

 fact which is not questioned by those who are familiar with this plantation that had not 

 this persistent and energetic fight be^n followed, the greiter portion of the peas would 

 have been destroyed by the insecb. Last year the peas over the same area were broad- 

 cast so there was no opportunity of fighting the pes';, and as a consequence 480 acres 

 were entirely ruined by it. This year, by changing the method, and by a new system of 

 fighting the p^st, the peas have been saved. Many other illustrations of a similar nature 

 could be given where we have been following this method persistently in this State. 



The bru?h and cultivator method is a simple one; a good pine switch is used to 



