MAY 



•OMtRS CKA^tCC -TO 

 m Old corm anowcbd 



ftTM.KS AND eiMIUW 



^ssme^ 



JUNE 



LAST ovcmmNTEnro 



OiANOC TO Morwa 

 MOTH9 i-Av cooe 



AND FIRST 

 BORERS BIGIN 

 HATCH 



JULY 



SOMK FIRST- SNOOD 

 •ORSR3 njAKTE Afto 



c»^Ar-<ac TO MqffVia 

 MOTvis ^v mboa 





War on ... 

 Borer Menace 



-jj->- 



NORTHERN Illinois farmers are 

 preparing to wage war on the 

 European corn borer as never 

 before. 



They have good reason to. 

 Entomologists of the State Natural His- 

 tory Survey say the corn borer outlcrok 

 for 1948 is a dark one. The right com- 



in 1947. On the other hand, if the 

 corn is planted early and moths come 

 late. Natural History Survey entomolo- 

 gists says we may well expect a corn 

 borer outbreak more disastrous than 

 we have yet experienced. 



What can the farmer do to meet the 

 corn borer menace? According to 



By JIM THOMSON/ A.ff. Editor, iaa record 4^- 



bination of circumstances is expected to 

 bring out a record number in the north- 

 ern counties. 



The threat is greatest in northwest- 

 ern Illinois — north of Highway 34 and 

 west of Highway 51 — where 15 coun- 

 ties have nearly three borew per plant. 

 In at least three of these counties the 

 population averages four per plant. 



Farther south the borer population 

 ranges from a little over one borer per 

 plant to practically none in southern 

 Illinois. 



Corn borer infestation has been 

 heavy in northern Illinois because the 

 growing cycle of the corn crop has 

 closely paralleled the growth cycle of 

 the borer. 



If moths come out early and the corn 

 crop is late, the number of borers may 

 be no greater and perhaps lower than 



Entomologist G. C. Decker, the most 

 important single thing a farmer can 

 do to control borers is to plow his 

 fields clean. 



"A good clean plowing job," Decker 

 says, "can make a tremendous contri- 

 bution to corn borer control. Ninety- 

 nine per cent of the borers can be de- 

 stroyed in this manner." 



When the corn is above ground and 

 the borer attacks the young plant in 

 damaging numbers, it is necessary to 

 use a deadly insecticide. DDT is the 

 most practical. It is cheaper and plenti- 

 ful. 



When applied at the right time it 

 takes about one pound of DDT to the 

 acre at a cost of $1.25 to $1.50. Ex- 

 periments show a 3 to 16 per cent in- 

 crease in corn yields where the field 

 is treated with insecticide. Failures 



were reported but spraying was 90 per 

 cent successful and paid for the work 

 done plus a margin of profit. Com- 

 mercial sprayers are expected to be in 

 the field this year with rigs worth 

 $2,000 to $3,000. They charge around 

 $2.50 per acre including materials. Air- 

 plane applications of DDT run $3.50 

 to $4.00 per acre. Ground sprays for 

 the average farm are available for $200 

 to $500. 



According to J. H. Bigger, Natural 

 History Survey entomologist, if DDT 

 applications are made in late June and 

 the crop is picked in October and No- 

 vember no harm will result from feed- 

 ing it to meat animals. 



He said, however, that it was not 

 advisable yet to feed the corn to dairy 

 animals until further experiments have 

 been made. 



Entomologist J. M. Wright, is study- 

 ing the efferts of an imported parasite 

 on the corn borer. He said that results 

 so far were inconclusive but encourag- 

 ing. 



Farmers plagued by corn borers this 

 spring are advised to get in touch with 

 their farm advisers during the early 

 part of the growing season in order 

 to know when to apply the insecticide 

 at the proper time. 



Thif Is a sprayer usad by Hi* Illinois Natural 



History Sunroy In com boror control oxpori- 



monts in northom Illinois last 



Corn boror oggs aro roodHy vislblo on th* 



undorsido of tho com loovos. Insot shows 



larva bi com stalk. 



ARUL 1948 



IS 



