Sugar Beet Webworm 



Cost Too High 



The cost is one of the reasons most frequently given for not spraying. 

 It costs not to exceed $3.00 an acre to apply Paris green with labor at 

 $3.00 per day and Paris green at 50 cents per pound. One thorough 

 spraying may save the grower $20.00 worth of beets. Even though a 

 moderate amount of damage is done in spite of the spraying, a saving of 

 one ton or $10.00 an acre can be made. 



Spraying Interferes with Haying 



Some growers will not spray because it is haying time when the 

 worms appear. Two men and one team can handle at least 1 5 acres a 

 day and should do 20 to 25 acres. If a grower has 25 acres he can spray 

 it in one day and save one or two tons of beets per acre or $250.00 to 

 $500.00 in a day by spending a day's time and $75.00 for labor and poison. 

 This is not a bad interest on his investment. 



Fear of Poisoning Stock 



The fear of poisoning stock by feeding sprayed beet tops often keeps 

 a grower from spraying. As sprayed beet tops have been fed for many 

 years without killing stock, this excuse seems to have no foundation. 

 The fact that only a portion of the leaves present when the spraying is 

 done ever enter the feed lot, because they have died and fallen off, to- 

 gether with the fact that the poison is very easily washed off by showers, 

 would seem to reduce the question of poisoning stock to the very remotest 

 of possibilities so remote in fact that it need not be considered at all. 



Fear of Breaking Beet Leaves 



The fear of breaking off some of the beet leaves with the spray 

 machines and team often keeps growers from spraying. The presence 

 of a very few worms in a field will reduce the leaf surface of a crop much 

 more than all the leaves that will be broken off during the spraying. 

 The fact that there is only a hole here and there in the leaves makes the 

 damage appear slight, but it does not take many such holes to equal the 

 area of a whole leaf, although the loss is not nearly so apparent as when 

 the whole leaf is broken off. 



Hard to Realize Danger 



It is often very hard for growers to realize that there is going to be 

 any damage. The worms are small and inconspicuous, which makes 

 their numbers appear insignificant as compared with the foliage of the 

 beets. If in doubt yourself and the Sugar Company representative 

 advises spraying, remember that this man has no interest in your spend- 

 ing more money on your crop unless by so doing you can produce a 

 better crop. 



DESCRIPTION 

 The Egg 



The eggs of the sugar beet webwormmoth (Fig. 5, Plate V, Page 19) are 

 about the size of a small pin-head, of a pearly white color when first laid, 

 becoming yellowish as the young worm develops within. When depos- 

 ited singly they appear as shown at "A" of the figure. They often 



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