February, '19] CAFFREY: EUROPEAN CORN BORER 99 



Mr. E. p. Felt: The time to answer it is now, 



Mr. D. J. Caffrey : That is a pretty hard question to answer at the 

 present time. If we could reduce the entire area that is infested by the 

 insect to a desert and absolutely destroy plant life, we could probably 

 exterminate it in a short time. 



Mr. W. C. O'Kane: Is it necessary to reduce the entire area to a 

 desert? 



Mr. D. J. Caffrey: Perhaps that statement should be amended to 

 include the plants infested by the insects. 



Mr. G. a. Dean : What are you going to do when an insect like this 

 becomes established in a state or states like IlUnois, Ohio, Indiana, 

 Iowa, Nebraska, and Kansas, where they really have some corn fields? 

 For instance, a man does not think he has a corn field unless he has 

 more than forty acres. In Kansas at the present time there are over 

 ten million acres of winter wheat. I should like to ask Mr. Walton 

 whether he thinks it is possible to stamp out the infestation in Massa- 

 chusetts, providing sufficient funds are available. Even though it 

 should cost ten million dollars, what would that be compared with the 

 injury or loss if this insect becomes established in the great agricultural 

 states, where they grow corn, wheat, oats, and the kafirs? 



Mr. W. B. Walton: From what we know regarding the control of 

 this insect at the present time, I must confess that I am very skeptical 

 respecting the possibility of exterminating it. I don't believe it can be 

 done, but I am " wilhng to be shown. " 



Secretary A. F. Burgess: Is it worth trying? 



Mr. W. R. Walton: Yes, of course, it is worth trying, when we 

 learn how to do it. I don't think we are ready yet. The insect hasn't 

 spread very much during the past year. We are now conducting ex- 

 perimental control work, and we know a good bit of its life-history. We 

 don't know very much about the methods of controlling it. I should 

 like to ask Mr. Caffrey to tell us something about the success of this 

 work so far as it has been carried. 



Mr. D. J. Caffrey: The control work as far as it has been carried 

 shows that where we can get into an area where the plants are dry and 

 start a good hot fire, we can absolutely destroy all parts of the plants. 

 But in corn fields or weed areas where there are large weeds, more or 

 less green, it is very difficult to destroy the larvae. 



Mr. W. C. O'Kane: How about pulling up the plants and burning 

 them? 



Mr. D. J. Caffrey: That was tried, the plants were placed in piles 

 and we attempted to burn them with oil. When dry enough, they bum 

 readily, but if they :ire very green it creates only a smudge, and we find 

 a certain number of living larv:i' l(>ft. Then we tried a large kerosene 



