12 MISCELLANEOUS RESULTS OF WORK OF BUREAU TX. 



the conditions in Avcstern Texas, such as those obtaining at Barstow, 

 probably little o'ood could l)e accomplished by such measures. With 

 the mesquite-covered surroundino- districts as a stronghold these 

 insects j^robably will become established in the alfalfa fields each year 

 and become more or less numerous as the season progresses, their 

 numbers beino- o-overned by conditions which for the most part exert 

 their influence secondarily through the natural enemies of the s})ecies. 

 The question of control at T)arstow, and where similar conditions 

 jjrevail, resolves itself into: First, avoidance of damage to the seed 

 crop of alfalfa; second, methods tending to jjrevent the insect's 

 spread from alfalfa to other cro})s, or otherwise preventing infesta- 

 tions: third, direct remedies applicable for use when crops other than 

 alfalfa become infested. 



AVOIDANCE OF TN.TITRY TO TIIK SRED CROP OF AUFAT.EA. 



At Barstow the experience of alfalfa growers for two successive 

 seasons, supported by direct observation by Mr. Crawford and the 

 writer at regular intervals during 1905, has shown that the conchue- 

 las are so numerous during July and August that an attempt to pro- 

 duce a seed cyo\) during this 2Hn'iod would be inadvisable. In north- 

 ern ]\Iexico observations extending over three seasons have shown the 

 insects both to reach a maximum in numbers and to show a marked 

 decrease therefrom during the last two weeks of July. This cor- 

 responded with the history of the pest at Barstow, and it is believed 

 that the danger limits above given are sufficiently wide to cover* all 

 but excei)tional cases under the present conditions. If a crop 

 intended for seed promised to mature before July 1, probably but 

 little damage would be accomplished by the conchuela, but this is 

 entirely a surmise which it is hoped will be thoroughly tested when 

 an o])i)ortunity presents itself. The same probabilities hold for a crop 

 of seed Avhich would mature after the 1st of September. This, more- 

 over, has l)een substantiated by the experience of ]\Iiller Brothers at 

 Barstow, which has been described under the subject of damage to 

 alfalfa in 1905. Avoidance of the injury as here outlined is undoubt- 

 edly simpler than actually defending the seed in the field from attack. 



A SI^GGESTIOX AS TO ^MECHANICAL CONTRIVANCES FOR COLI.ECTINO THE 



INSECTS. 



Between the conchuela {P. Ugdta) and its near relative, the grain 

 bug {P. sayi)^ whose reputation as a pest has already been men- 

 tioned, it may be anticipated here that in the course of time remedies 

 will be demanded for use against such insect enemies of alfalfa in 

 other sections of the country. In a field w4th ripening seed an ex- 

 periment with an insect-collec-ting net in one hand and a stick in the 

 other, simulating the action of an imaginary specially constructed 



