Pests and Diseases 185 
economic importance.! It is the leaves and not the mar- 
ketable part of the beet that usually suffer; therefore, 
unless proper functioning of the leaves is prevented, the 
injury passes without notice. 
Ordinarily, injury is not great if proper methods are 
taken to prevent the incoming of pests; but if no atten- 
tion is given to them and if farm practices are followed 
without regard to pest troubles, the damage is likely to 
be considerable. For example, the nematode when in- 
troduced into a region is usually unheeded, because of 
which it gradually infests the soil, making beet-growing 
impossible until suitable rotations are adopted. Insect 
difficulties vary greatly from year to year. One year 
grasshoppers or army-worms may devour everything in 
their way, but the next year they may be absent almost 
entirely. 
Whenever there is a serious outbreak of any pest or 
disease in a locality, the State Agricultural College should 
be called on for help and every agency should codperate. 
The sugar factory agriculturist and the county agricul- 
tural agent will be able to give assistance with ordinary 
troubles. When a new pest or disease appears, experts 
from the State Experiment Station or the Department of 
Agriculture should be summoned. 
Preventive measures for controlling pests. 
A few general precautions known and utilized by all 
beet farmers would prevent a great part of the loss oc- 
casioned by insects. Weeds, especially those belonging 
to the same family as the sugar-beet, such as the dock, 
1 Forbes, S. A., and Hart, C..A., IU. Erp. Sta., Bul. No. 60. 
