8 FARMERS'" BULLETIN 875. 



long time. These old sod lands are utilized frequently as pastures. 

 Whenever such lands are plowed and immediatel.y planted to corn, 

 the crop may suffer serious injury from the beetles Avliich had been 

 breeding regularly in the old sod. Then, too, in case com is planted 

 in near-by fields, many of the beetles are likely to spread into these 

 from their ordinary breeding grounds. Such old sod lands support 

 a vegetation in which certain grasses^ flourish of which the beetles 

 appear to be very fond. In sucli lands dead and decaying vegetable 

 matter accumulates in considerable quantities, and as the grubs of the 

 rough-headed corn stalk-beetle feed upon such substances it can be 

 understood easily that these old sod lands afford ideal conditions for 

 the multiplication of the pest. 



Sometimes the rough-headed corn stalk-beetle appears to be able to 

 breed in temporary sod lands, although the number of beetles pro- 

 duced in such pastures is far below the number which are capable of 

 developing in an equal area of old waste land. 



Cornfields appear to be very unfavorable places for the reproduc- 

 tion of the rough-headed corn stalk-beetle. Eggs may be found in 

 abundance in cornfields in which the beetles are feeding, but the 

 number of beetles which develop from these eggs is insignificant com- 

 pared with the vast numbers that originate in old sod lands. 



Thus it becomes evident that one of the most promising methods 

 for controlling the beetles is to avoid maintaining pastures for in- 

 definite periods or allowing any part of the farm to grow up as 

 Avaste land. 



CONTROL MEASURES. 



By far the most important means of control is the elimination of 

 all old waste and pasture lands. As has been stated previously, the 

 favorite breeding place — and, in fact, under most conditions the only 

 place where the pest is able to maintain itself in sufficient numbers 

 to become a menace to the corn crops — is in low, poorly drained land 

 that is allowed to remain as waste or as pasture lands for a con- 

 siderable period of time. Land that is kept in a high state of cul- 

 tivation and where frequent and systematic rotation of crops is 

 practiced is not a favorable place for the breeding of this beetle. 

 Therefore all low, moist areas should be drained thoroughly and in- 

 cluded in the regular system of rotation as practiced for the remainder 

 of the farm. This not only Avill destroy the main breeding grounds 

 of the insect but will make these lowlands more productive and much 

 easier to cultivate. Sv/ah pasture lands should not he planted to corn 

 the -first year^ and as no other cultivated crops are injured by the 

 rough-headed corn stalk-beetle s-oine other crop can be substituted. 



^ Paspahim spp. 



