Insects Affecting Sweet Potatoes 153 



provided with perfectly developed wiugs, it seldom is 

 seen in flight aud this method of spreading may be dis- 

 regarded. Therefore, it must be assumed that the 

 weevil can be controlled or held to a specified infestation 

 by care in the transportation of sweet potatoes and by- 

 products. It is possible that the weevil will crawl for 

 a great distance; this being recognized, growers a few 

 miles from infested farms need have very little fear 

 of damage provided they take ordinai-y precautions. 



Clean culture is the chief ally iu fighting the weeviL 

 The ground should be kept clean at all times, plants 

 healthy and in good growing condition, and the land 

 should not be allowed to bake or crack open during the 

 summer. It is further recommended that the crop be 

 put out later and harvested earlier than is usually the 

 practice. This gives a shorter season for the plants 

 and tubers to become infested in the field. At har- 

 vest time sweet potatoes should be divided into three 

 lots: Weevil-free tubers; tubers slightly infested; 

 tubers badly infested. The last lot should immediately 

 be fed to the cattle or poultry after cooking, or should 

 be burned. The second lot may be fumigated for im- 

 mediate use; and the first stored for winter keeping. 

 In this manner no direct loss will result from the in- 

 fested potatoes, as they make valuable stock-feed. As 

 soon as the potatoes are removed from the field, the 

 vines should be raked into piles and burned, as soon 

 as dry. Hogs should be turned into the field to eat 

 all the small stringy potatoes and cut ones that are left, 

 In this way tubers that might remain in the field during 

 the winter will be destroyed, and the field wiU prob- 

 ably be freed of over-wintering weevils. 



