1911. 
123 
SOME ENEMIES OF ALFALFA. 
Alfalfa is a-great friend of the farmer, but like 
other friends it attracts enemies as it spreads. As 
potato culture developed insects and disease followed 
and multiplied, as apple orchards accumulated in any 
section, insects and diseases peculiar to apple trees 
became pests. So it seems to be with Alfalfa. In 
Colorado grasshoppers followed Alfalfa development 
until they are a regular plague. In Utah the Alfalfa 
leaf-weevil has appeared in such numbers that it has 
ruined many old fields. The Utah Experiment Station 
has issued Bulletin No. 110, dealing with the insect. 
SEVEN-YEAR-OLD CULTIVATED TREE. Fig. 143. 
See First. Page. 
It is a native of Europe and is probably found wher¬ 
ever Alfalfa is grown, although it is not troublesome 
except in sections where the crop has become an ex¬ 
tensive one. It feeds on Alfalfa and on six varieties 
of clover, including Red and Crimson. It is probable 
that the weevil was first brought to this country in 
hay or straw used in packing crockery or nursery 
stock. It has no doubt been in the Atlantic States for 
some years but has not become serious, since Alfalfa 
is not largely grown. It seems that many western 
fruit orchards are surrounded by fields of Alfalfa or 
Sweet clover. The insects crawl into the fruit pack¬ 
ages, and are in this way carried about. They also 
travel in hay or feed, and in this way are distributed. 
The insect passes the Winter as an adult beetle—in 
any well sheltered place. When the Alfalfa starts they 
come out and begin laying eggs within a few days. 
These eggs hatch in seven to 16 days and the other 
changes in the life of the insect follow. The insects 
cut holes or slits in the Alfalfa stems, or at the base 
of the leaves where they lay the eggs, and this cut¬ 
ting and gouging ruins the plant, and in many cases 
this means, a loss of from 40 to 90 per cent of the 
crop. The young insects also feed on the plants and 
do great damage. 
The insects are worst where the Alfalfa is left a 
long time without rcplowing and seeding. In Utah, 
where irrigation is given, the Alfalfa fields sometimes 
stand 30 or more years, and these old fields are badly 
affected. In the East where Alfalfa will probably be 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
the field was worked at least once a week with a 
brush drag or a sweeper. A picture of the brush 
drag is shown at Fig. 142. This is made by laying 
the butts of short brush five or six feet long on a 
plank 12 or 14 feet long, with other rows of brush 
shingled on—the whole thing weighted down by a 
tooth harrow with the teeth down directly on the 
brush drag. This drag knocks off many weevils and 
kills them, while the thick dust suffocates more. An¬ 
other device is the wire street sweeper shown at Fig. 
144. It was found that this machine killed nearly all 
the insects, but the high cost ($300 or more) puts it 
out of reach. These devices may kill the insects in 
the field, but usually more come in from outside so 
that the great hope lies in community working. 
Another form of “gathering machine” is shown at 
Fig. 146. This is made from a wheat header which 
harvests grain by cutting off the heads and upper part 
of the straw. This machine knocks off the insects 
into a pan. In one case 70 gallons of the insects were 
“gathered” in this way from 15 acres. This means 
an average of about 166,000 weevils to the acre. By 
putting crude oil in the bottom of the box where the 
weevils are “gathered” few can escape. It is also 
possible to destroy many by burning the fields over, 
and spraying with arsenic would get them. The story 
is important as showing how these western Alfalfa 
growers must face serious trouble in growing this 
crop. These insects are likely to cut down the out¬ 
put, while our eastern growers with smaller fields 
and a short rotation have less cause for alarm. Any 
way you look at it the eastern farmer ought to work 
into Alfalfa. 
A NEBRASKA CORN GROWER TALKS. 
Your challenge to ^western farmers to engage in a 
corn growing contest does not look practical to a 
western farmer along the lines proposed. If the chal¬ 
lenge had been made to show the net profits from a 
whole farm of a given number of acres, say 120 or 
160 acres, or if it were made to include the net profits 
for the amount of corn one man could produce in a 
season, it would be a different proposition. 
To limit one to the product of a single acre, the 
whole contest would hinge on local markets, and it 
is probable that the eastern farmer would receive as 
much for his single acre in cash as the western farmer, 
even if he produced less corn to the acre. To a west¬ 
ern farmer who feeds all his corn to hogs and cattle 
the lower price of his corn makes little difference 
when it comes to figuring profits on a farm, as his 
corn goes to market in the form of live stock. If 
the contest were based on bushels one man could 
produce in a season, and the profits obtained for his 
season’s work, it would look different, as it is not un¬ 
usual or unheard-of for one man to produce 4,000 
bushels of shelled corn in a season. 
Now let me say a few words about local markets to 
illustrate the fact that you do not always have the 
advantage. Last Spring when your New York farm¬ 
ers were figuring seed potatoes at a value of 16 cents 
per bushel, I was selling my Early Ohios at home 
for 60 cents per bushel measured, and if I had not 
sold so soon could have had $1 per bushel for them. 
Considering that my expense for raising was seed, $5, 
rent, $3 per acre, and the labor of raising, which I 
did myself, you can figure the profits per acre, as the 
yield was over 160 bushels, which was small, of course, 
because I have raised at the rate of about 400 bushels 
on the same ground. It was the short crop that 
IRRIGATION BY PUMPING. 
Some days ago I read an article in The R. N.-Y., 
answering a query in regard to putting in a small 
irrigation outfit to water two acres of garden. Prac¬ 
tically all the water we get in this region is lifted by 
a pump of some sort, and in the light of experience 
in this method of irrigation I would offer some sug¬ 
gestions which will help the man who has the courage 
to take charge of weather conditions in the event 
that rain fails to fall. The two-inch pump and 2^2 
horse-power engine will take care of the two acres 
nicely, furnishing about 125 gallons per minute at a 
TEN-YEAR-OLD MULCHED TREE. Fig. 145. 
See First Page. 
speed of 800 revolutions if properly lined out. The 
installation will be more simple to use the foot valve 
on the suction pipe and keep the pump above water. 
If there is danger of debris in the creek sink a box 
around the suction. It would be an expensive mis¬ 
take to use two-inch pipe for 200 feet and work the 
little engine against so much friction. A three-inch 
pipe connected to the pump by a reducer and run up 
at an angle of 45° to a vertical height of 18 feet 
arranged to empty into a wooden flume which con¬ 
nects with the garden will avoid excessive speed of 
the water, and also do away with most of the pipe. 
The suction should be at least 2j4-inch pipe. If this 
is not suited to conditions use four-inch pipe from 
pump to field. I his may be made of heavy galvanized 
pipe material, and reduced to the two-inch connection 
on the pump, but the flume will be more satisfactory 
if it can be used. The flume may be cheaply made 
with two boards put together, pig-trough style, and 
lined with roofing paper, lapping the joints like 
shingles. 
Another thing should not be lost sight of; when 
the field needs irrigation it probably will all need it 
at once, for the rain wets the whole patch tlie same 
day, and it would be a wise plan to pump an earth 
tank full of water and have it on hand if the ground 
can be sufficient^ puddled to hold water; 125 gallons 
per minute is a feeble stream to do anything with, 
and less than that is little more than an aggravation 
unless it be stored up until sufficient “head” has ac- 
WIRE SWEEPER FOR KILLING ALFALFA WEEVILS. Fig. 144. 
MACHINE FOR GATHERING ALFALFA WEEVILS. 
Fig. 140. 
used as part of a long rotation it is not likely that 
the insect will do great damage. In Utah measures 
for fighting the insect have in mind the plan of pre¬ 
venting its feeding when it first comes through Win¬ 
ter and then tearing up the soil lightly with a heavy 
dust to destroy the insects and drive them away. Thus 
the field may be worked lightly with the disk harrow 
and then watered at once to rush the Alfalfa into 
growth. In several cases close pasturing and dragging 
has proved helpful. Horses or sheep were turned iii 
to keep the Alfalfa eaten close. During this pasturing 
made the price. So in a contest like that you propose 
the eastern farmer, on a single acre of land, would 
have the advantage of a higher local market most 
likely, unless the western man could sell his product 
at a fancy price for seed. Yours for fair play. 
Wayne Co., Neb. r. o. stringer. 
R. N.-Y.—We recognize the common sense in the 
above statement. We would like to carry the corn 
contest through as suggested first, but if any of our 
eastern farmers would like to meet. Mr. Stringer, man 
to man, to match the productive labor of one worker, 
we .shall be pleased to help arrange a contest. 
cumulated to put it out and over the ground. The 
free Government pamphlet, “Practical Irrigation for 
Beginners,' will be very helpful in giving methods for 
handling the water. The 125 gallons per minute 
should be delivered at a cost of not more than 30 
cents a day for engine naphtha if the right machinery 
is selected, and the best should be procured; it's the 
cheapest in the end. I hope that the result of this 
trial will appear in The R. N.-Y., for it is the first 
attempt at pump irrigation I have heard of in my 
native State. , A . s w 
Columbus, N. M. 
