June, '19] VICKERY AND WILSON: WINGLESS MAY BEETLES 245 



flavored with lemon juice. He states that the beetles would often 

 leave the cotton plants to feed on this bait. 



A few rows of cotton were dusted with powdered arsenate of lead. 

 A large number of the beetles were killed by this means also. But 

 it was found that the arsenate of lead used as a spray, two ounces to 

 three gallons of water, was more economical. This spray was used 

 effectively to help stop the advancing pest, and thus saving part of the 

 cotton. This and the poison bait saved several acres of cotton on one 

 side of the field while on the other side, where poison was not utilized, 

 it was destroyed to the fence. 



During July we investigated damage done by Lachnosterna cribrosa 

 in San Patricio County. We found that it had been numerous and 

 had done serious damage to cotton there also. The following letter 

 from Mr, T. C. Cobb, who is countj^ agent of that county, tells of the 

 methods used to combat the beetles. This letter bearing the date 

 July 17, 1918, reads: 



Dear Sir: 



Having had considerable experience this season in fighting wingless May beetles I 

 am glad to report the results of the methods employed in this county. 



In the first place I wish to state that the beetle was here in countless numbers, com- 

 pletely destroying in one instance a hundred-acre block of cotton, as well as doing con- 

 siderable damage on smaller scale in several other fields. 



We tried various methods, including poisoned bran mash, dusting poison on the 

 cotton plants, hand-picking, but the l)est work was with the barrier ditches. These 

 were made bj' running several times in the same furrow with a lister, making a loose 

 steep-sided, deep furrow. The perpendicular-sided furrow was not successful because 

 the beetles could climb out on the hard dirt, while the loose dirt would roll down with 

 them when they tried to climb out of this. After plowing the furrow as deep as 

 necessary with the lister the bottom was smoothed out with a sliovel so the beetles 

 could easily walk along the bottom. In this smooth part postholes were dug about 

 fifteen or twenty feet apart, into which the beetles fell and were destroyed. 



A little different plan tlian that which has l>een suggested is to leave ofT the digging 

 of holes in the l)ottom of the furrow, and patrol the furrow with a pear burner during 

 the time the beetles travel, wliich is only late in the evening. I believe this would l)e 

 just as effective as any other method although we didn't try it this year. 



There is no doubt that this beetle can be controlled so as to prevent serious damage 

 with the barrier ditch if the work is done in time, and the beetle is coming into the 

 cotton from outside. In case the beetle hatches in the cotton field I believe the bran 

 mash poisoning would be the most eiTective means of control, several farmers in this 

 county reporting absolutely satisfactory results from this method. 



Yours very truly, 



(Signed) T. C. Conn, ComUy Agent, 



Snn I'atricio Coituly, Texas. 



