360 FORAGE PLANTS AND THEIR CULTURE 



of Europe, appeared in Utah in 1904, and has now spread 

 over a considerable portion of that state and south Idaho. 

 The insect causes much damage by the larvae eating the 

 leaves of the first crop of alfalfa, and incidentally, by delay- 

 ing the second crop, does not allow time enough for the 

 third crop to mature. 



The best method of control thus far devised is to cut 

 the first crop and remove it from the field as soon as it 

 shows signs of serious injury. The field should then be 

 gone over with a spring tooth harrow and followed by thor- 

 ough treatment with a heavy brush drag. The object 

 is to destroy as many of the larvae and pupae as possible, 

 partly by crushing, partly by burying in the dust, and 

 partly by starving, as after thorough dragging the alfalfa 

 stubble will be entirely bare of leaves. If the work has 

 been well done, the second crop will be practically free 

 from the weevil, and if done early enough, there will be 

 ample time for the third crop to mature. 



Several caterpillars cause more or less injury at times 

 to alfalfa by eating the leaves. The most important are 

 Eurymus eury theme and Autographa gamma calif ornica. 

 The best practical remedy, if the caterpillars are abundant, 

 is to cut the alfalfa as close to the ground as possible while 

 the caterpillars are young, thus starving them and protect- 

 ing the succeeding crop from injury. Close pasturing is 

 also a means of preventing injury, as caterpillars rarely 

 become abundant in fields thus utilized. 



