308 AGRICULTURAL APPROPRL^TIOX BILL, 1924. 



INJURIOUS TO GARDEN CROPS. 



Mr. Waltox. In New Eiifjland we have a great increase of injury 

 to garden crops. At the time tliis infestation be^an in New 

 England, not when it be^^an, but when it was discovered in 1917 and 

 1918, there was a great deal of early sweet corn raised in the eastern 

 New England area, and as the injury by the insect increased, farmers 

 began to discontinue growing it, because it was unmarketable, and 

 the consequence has been that the corn borer entered these other 

 crops- celery, beets, beans, and rhubarb — and at the present time the 

 infestation in these crops is very heavy. ITiere has been a good deal 

 of commercial injury this fall. 



Doctor Ball. Tell about the injur\' to com. 



Mr. Walton. The injury to corn was so heavy that the sweet-corn 

 farmers have practically ceased producing it, except for local con- 

 sumption. 



Doctor Ball. Tell about the injury to corn in Canada. 



Mr. Walton. Well, we had not been discussing the Canadian in- 

 festation. That is outside of the United States. 



Mr. Buchanan. I would like to know what damage it does where 

 it has a foothold. 



Mr. Anderson. Please finish with the New England business 

 first. 



Mr. Walton. I was about to say there has been a ^reat deal of 

 spread in New England this year, because of the densely mfested con- 

 dition of the older territory. There has been no clean-up there for 

 two years. 



Doctor irowARi). The weed areas are full of them. 



Mr. Walton. The weed areas are full of them, and there has been 

 a great fiight of the second generation moths, which occurs during 

 tlie last week in July and in early August, and the insect spread up 

 the Merrimack \^\lley to the center of New Hampshire, and tliey have 

 fiown along the Maine coast for a long distance. There is the heaviest 

 infestation in Massachusetts and New England this year that ever 

 has existed. 



Mr. Anderson. Is there any clean-up work, or anything in con- 

 templation there? 



M^r. Walton. The commissioner of Massachusetts is endeavoring 

 now to secure funds for that purpose. He thinks he can get 

 $100. 000, but he wants the Federal Government to help him. 



Mr. Anderson. Is the Federal Government doing any clean-up 

 work at all in Massachusetts? 



Mr. Walton. It is doing no clean-up work in Massachusetts. ^ 

 The funds are insufficient for that purpose. 



Ml-. Anderson. You are merely attempting to maintain a t|uaran- 

 tine ? 



Mr. Walton. We are merely attempting to maintain ([uarantine, 

 scouting and limiting the aica of the infestation. 



Mr. Anderson. 1 would imagine tlu' clean-up of tiie area in which 

 the weeds and crops are infested would be a very diflicult matter. 



Mr. Walton. Yes, sir. It does not mean eradication. It means 

 a n'<hiclion of tlie intensity of the infestation to perhaps reduce this 

 great migration of motlis. 



Mr. Anderson. Has any method been worked out by which that 

 can be nccomplislKMJ ( 



