646 JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY [Vol. 17 
where the crop of bell and tabasco peppers was seriously injured in 
1903, 1904, and 1905. 2 
On November 30, 1923, other fields about 4 miles distant were ex¬ 
amined. They totaled 30 acres, but included three separate plantings, 
two in the bottom of small valleys and the third on a hilltop 150 feet 
higher and at a distance of one-half mile. One field was in peppers for 
the first time, while the others had been planted to peppers for several 
years. Aside from these three fields, no other peppers had been grown 
within 5 miles during the preceding five years. All three fields had 
produced large rrops; an average of nearly 400 crates (40 pounds each) 
to the acre in the best field had already been picked, and there were indi¬ 
cations that the entire acreage would average this amount. Careful 
examination showed a high percentage of infested peppers. Those prac¬ 
tically matured were not visibly damaged to an extent that would render 
them unmarketable, but nearly all immature peppers were so badly 
infested that it was doubtful if they would develop. This later proved 
to be the case, for after the remaining mature peppers were picked, 
-only a few more crates were taken from the fields. Although the bulk of 
the crop had been picked the loss was heavy, because it is the late 
peppers which bring the high price. The loss caused by the insect in 
the La Habra district was estimated at from $12,000 to $15,000. The 
growers in this locality stated that they had observed similar damage in 
previous years, but that it was so insignificant that no investigations of 
its cause were made. 
The horticultural commissioner of Orange County observed infesta¬ 
tion in peppers about December 1, 1923, in Bell Canyon, Orange County 
about 30 miles southeast from the La Habra infestation. The owner re¬ 
ported that he had grown a few peppers for home consumption for 
several years but that the nearest fields of peppers grown on a commercial 
scale were at least 30 miles distant. The peppers were badly infested and 
on advice of the commissioner they were pulled and burned. 
Several pepper fields in the San Fernando Valley were inspected on 
December 11, 1923. These were about 50 miles northwest from the La 
Habra fields and on a gentle slope some distance from the nearest hills, 
while the La Habra fields were among low hills. In one field, from which 
the commercial crop had been removed, 10 per cent of the remaining 
peppers were infested, but in fields one-half mile to a mile away no 
weevils were found. 
2 Walker, C. M. Bulletin 54, Bureau of Entomology, U. S. Department of Agri¬ 
culture. 
