8 BULLETIN 124, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGBICITLTtTBE. 
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 
Yiuna Valley, near the town by that name, both the writer and Mr. 
R. X. "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 larva? entirely stripped a 20-acre field, reduc- 
ing the alfalfa to mere stubble. In the Gila Eiver Valley, between 
Thatcher and Safford. Ariz.. Mr. E. 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: " TVhile out a short distance north 
of town I observed fields yellow with butterflies. The leaves were 
nearly all badly eaten by the larva?, of which many were still present.'' 
September 15. Dos Palos: "Larva? present in moderate numbers, but 
causing much injury." September 16. Merced: "A 10-acre field of 
alfalfa south of town literally covered by larva? 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 
rnidsiunmer crops in July and August. Adults and larva? 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 gTeatly reduce and at times totally eliminate 
this damage is to be shown in the following pages. 
DESCRIPTION. 
All stages of Eurymus mirytheme 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 
