57 



more. His HOO-acre pea plantation waspractifaliy saved l>y ixTsistcnt 

 and energetic eti'orts on his part this season. All the methods from a 

 practical standpoint were tried on this place, and it was found that the 

 brush and cultivator method (see illustration, PI. II, tig. 1) was the 

 most effective. Forty men were therefore engaged to work in the tield, 

 and the 600 acres were brushed and cultivated every third day for a 

 period of tAvo weeks, and in this manner the entire field was saved, 

 netting the owner from 25,000 to 30.000 cases of peas of 2 dozen each. 

 It is a fact whicli is not questioned by those who are familiar with this 

 plantation that had not this persistent and energetic fight been fol- 

 lowed, the greater portion of the peas would have been destroyed by 

 the insect. Last year the peas over the same area were broadcast, so 

 there was no opportunity of fighting the pest, and as a consequence 

 4S0 acres were entirely ruined by it, as reported last year before this 

 Association (Bui. No.* 20, n. s., Div. Ent., U. S. Dept. Agr., p. 94). 

 This year, by changing the method, and by a new system of fighting 

 the pest, the peas have been saved. Many other illustrations of a 

 similar nature could be given where we have been following this 

 method persistently in this State. 



The brush and cultivator method is a simple one, and the implements 

 for this method are shown in the accompanying illustration, PI. II, 

 fig, 2, which represents a field of peas which was saved b}" brushing and 

 cultivating. We might state, however, that a field not far distant 

 from the one shown in the figure, where nothing was done, was totally 

 ruined by the pest, A good pine switch is used to brush the vines 

 backward and forward ahead of the Iron Age cultivator, drawn by 

 one horse, and in this manner the insects are covered and a very large 

 proportion of them destroyed. The cultivation should not be repeated 

 until the third day, as it requires usually something over fort3^-eight 

 hours for the destruction of the adult insects when covered with earth. 

 On this plantation we also sprayed a large acreage to show the practi- 

 cal side of this work, and the outfit just ready to begin work is shown in 

 PI. I, fig. 2. Suffice it to say that we have found that no spray can be 

 used which can destroy a percentage of insects large enough to warrant 

 the expense of the operation. In this instance we sprayed 100 acres 

 in two days, and thoroughly tested the method from every standpoint, 

 using various materials. We abandoned the spraying apparatus, and 

 began the brush and cultivator method, which was followed up per- 

 sistently, with the results already noted. We have also used the 

 "•brush and pan," as shown in the illustration (PI. II, fig. 2), in which 

 instance a bushel of lice were caught to each row, 125 rods long. 



Many natural enemies, such as parasitic and predaceous insects, have 

 been found feeding upon this pest in the fields, and in this manner, no 

 doubt, the number has been somewhat reduced. The most important 

 factor, however, we have observed in the destruction of this pest has 



