8 BULLETIN" 124, U. S. DEPAETMEXT OF AGRICULTURE. 



There has also been damage in a smaller way, but just as important 

 to the individual farmer, in other valleys of these States. In the 

 Yuma Valle}^ near the town by that name, both the writer and Mr. 

 R. N. Wilson have noted the occurrence of the caterpillars in de- 

 structive numbers, and in the Buckeye Valley they have made similar 

 observations. Mr. Long reported serious damage in the Buckeye 

 Valley, and in 1913, on the Wessex ranch 2 miles west of the town 

 of Buckeye, Eurymus larvae entirely stripped a 20-acre field, reduc- 

 ing the alfalfa to mere stubble. In the Gila River Valley, between 

 Thatcher and Safford, Ariz., Mr. R. E. L. Wixon, a deputy State 

 nursery inspector, reports occasional devastation and often entire 

 fields destroyed. 



In California Mr. T. D. Urbahns has at various times during 1913 

 reported outbreaks and very serious damage at several towns in 

 the San Joaquin Valley. We quote the following from his notes: 

 July 9, Corcoran: "Considerable injury where crops were left in 

 field too long." September 13, Tulare : " Farmers generally re- 

 ported heavy loss to their alfalfa crops from the ' alfalfa worm,' 

 and on some fields the alfalfa was completely destroyed in July, 

 then resuming its growth after the pests had subsided from natural 

 control." September 14, Fresno : " While out a short distance north 

 of town I observed fields yellow with butterflies. The leaves were 

 nearly all badly eaten by the larvae, of which many were still present." 

 September 15, Dos Palos: "Larvae present in moderate numbers, but 

 causing much injury." September 16, Merced: "A 10-acre field of 

 alfalfa south of town literally covered by larvae and adults. Stems 

 had been stripped of their leaves." September 17, Modesto : " West 

 of town farmers consider the alfalfa worm a serious pest to their 

 midsummer crops in July and August. Adults and larvae were still 

 present in large numbers." 



At Inclio, in the Coachella Valley, Mr. Bruce Drummond, of the 

 Bureau of Plant Industry, has informed the author that considerable 

 damage is done by these caterpillars and that at times it becomes 

 quite severe. 



It is thus seen that what was once considered merely a thing of 

 beauty has now become one of the worst enemies to alfalfa culture, 

 causing between $500,000 and $1,000,000 of damage annually to this 

 crop in these southwestern sections alone. That the energetic and 

 up-to-date farmer can greatly reduce and at times totally eliminate 

 this damage is to be shown in the following pages. 



DESCRIPTION. 



All stages of Eurymus eurythem-e have been fully described by 

 Edwards and Scudder, and since this paper is purely economic in 

 purpose, no detailed description will be given, but instead a brief 



