5fi 



insect, or oiio vorv clost'ly allied to it, feeding upon a number of 

 species of vetches in Washington this year. From a long series of 

 experiments here 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 po.ssibly less time in hot weather. As an example, a 

 young one born March 4 reached maturity (wdnged form) March 16, 

 or twelve days from time of birth, and was producing living young on 

 March 19. From March 19 to April IT it became the mother of 111 

 young, and died on the latter date. Her first young (wingless form), 

 born March 19, reached maturity and was producing on March 31. or 

 eleven days from time of birth. From March 31 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 repro- 

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

 where this insect was first observed May 1, three weeks later the fields 

 were abandoned on account of its attacks. Calculating 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 this 

 creature along the Atlantic coast States was 13,000,000, and that the 

 crop was estimated at only one-half the usual output. From close 

 communion with the largest growers, the most experienced seedsmen, 

 and most extensive business men in this line of business, The Trade, 

 a canned-goods journal published in Baltimore, has gathered the infor- 

 mation 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 con- 

 dition of aflairs it is not strange that farmers have become thoroughly 

 discouraged, and make the statement that they will be more cautious 

 about planting peas for market purposes or for the packer in the 

 future. With this year's experience, however, we have shown con- 

 clusivel}^ in our experiments and practical work in the field that this 

 insect can be kept in control to a very great extent if taken in hand in 

 time. In the first place, the peas must be planted in rows 24 or 30 

 inches apart, as shown in the illustration (PI. I, fig. 1), and not broad- 

 cast or in drills, as has been the case over a wide area throughout 

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

 an instance on the place of Mr. C. H. Pearson, a large packer of Balti- 



