2 MISCELLANEOUS RESULTS OF WORK OF BUREAU IX. 



AN ASSOCIATED SPECIES. 



An allied pentatomid, the grain bug" (Pentatoma sayi Stal), 

 was found at Barstow associated with the conchuela. In 1905 this 

 species was not plentiful enough to cause much damage to crops by 

 itself, but as the character of its injury and that of the conchuela is 

 the same it is necessary to consider the two species together when they 

 are-founcl on the same food plant. In this case they were found 

 together only on alfalfa and Milo maize, although the grain bug is 

 known to have a wide range of food plants and probably is fully as 

 general in its feeding habits as is the conchuela. The history of the 

 former species as iC pest antedates, even in western Texas, that of 

 the latter, for as long ago as December. 1895, specimens of Pentatoma 

 sayi were received by this Bureau from Toyahvale, Eeeves County, 

 Tex., with a report that they had destroyed 40 acres of peas and 2 

 acres of lima beans on the correspondent's farm. It is interesting to 

 note that this report came from a point not 50 miles from Barstow. 

 Since that time this species has earned a l)ad reputation by its de- 

 structiveness to wheat and oats in Colorado and elsewhere. 



GENERAL AGRICULTURAL CONDITIONS AT BARSTOW, TEX. 



Ward County, of which Barstow is the county seat, is situated in 

 western Texas, a short distance south of the southeastern corner of 

 New Mexico. With the exception of a narrow valley along the river 

 the country consists of high rolling prairie covered in large part with 

 a short growth of mesquite and sage. Being in the arid region the 

 rainfall is too light to be depended on for agricultural purposes and 

 all crops are gi-own under irrigation, a practice which began with the 

 settlement of the county in 1891. Water for irrigation is obtained 

 from the Pecos River, and at present al)out 10,000 acres are under 

 cultivation in the county. Of this area, in 1905, about 5,000 acres 

 were devoted to cotton and tlie greater part of the remainder to 

 grapes, peaches, and alfalfa. The elevation of Barstow is about 

 2,500 feet above the sea level. 



DAMAGE TO CROPS PREVIOUS TO 1905. 



According to residents of Barstow who are best informed concern- 

 ing the conchuela, the insect never, previous to 1904, attacked crops 

 of any kind in sufficient numbers to attract attention. As far as 

 can be learned there had been, previous to that time, no attempt 

 to produce a seed crop of alfalfa. The occurrence of this pest on 

 cotton in moderate numbers is not likely to be associated with the 



a In using this common name for this species the writer follows Prof. C. P. 

 Gillette. Bui. 94, Colo. Exp. Sta., p. 3, Dec, 1904. 



