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State Crop Pest Commission
OF LOUISIANA.

_CircuLar /No. 13. April, 1907.

The Circulars of the State Crop Pest Commission are sent free of charge to all
farmers and fruit growers of Louisiana who make application therefor.

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REPORT
UPON
THE WORK OF THE STATE CROP PEST COMMISSION*
By Witmon NEWELL, Secretary and Entomologist.

Since the last meeting of this Commission, held September
25, 1906, a considerable number of changes in the working staff
has been made necessary by our inability, owing to lack of
appropriation by the last Legislature, to pay salaries sufficiently
large to induce competent men familiar with Southern conditions
to remain in our employ. The practical training which assistants
and inspectors obtain in the somewhat strenuous work conducted
by the Commission makes them valuable men for other States
and for other institutions doing similar work.

The lack of funds has also compelled the entire abandonment
of important work and investigation along some lines, and has
greatly hampered and restricted our work in every direction.
T should like to review for you, briefly, the work that has been
under way, and outline for you our present undertakings and the
plans of work for this season.

*Read before the Commission, at its meeting held at Baton Rouge., La, April 11, 1907.

i)

Crop Pest CoMMISSION OF

OFFICE WORK AND CORRESPONDENCE.

The letters received from planters and, fruit growers
throughout the State continue to increase. The fact that the
past winter has been very mild and is being followed by a season
favorable to the increase of insects, points to the present season
as being one in which insect damage in Louisiana will exceed
that of any season for many years past.

_ At the present time we have in our files letters from 2,750
different parties, the bulk of them being bona fide farmers. On
our mailing list we have the names of approximately 8,000
Louisiana farmers who receive our publications as they are
issued. For several months past the correspondence, and office
work incident thereto, has been far greater than the one stenog-
rapher could attend to and from one to two of the assistant
entomologists had to be employed for the major part of their
time in answering letters. The congestion of correspondence
became so great about the middle of last month that an additional
stenographer was employed upon the authorization of the Active
Chairman.

Our expenditures for postage on letters and bulletins now
average upwards of $75.00 per month.

PUBLICATION OF ‘‘CIRCULARS.’’

Since the last meeting, two bulletins have been published,
as follows: :

Cireular No. 10, November, 1906, upon ‘‘The Cattle Tick,’’
was printed in an edition of 15,000 copies, most of which have
already been distributed to farmers on our mailing list, and to
others through business houses, farmers’ meetings, etc. This
Circular gave the results of studies made of the life history of
the tick by the Commission since August 1, 1905, contained
practical recommendations for ridding cattle and pastures of
the ticks by rotation methods based upon the experimental work,
and pointed out the advantages sure to follow tick eradication.

Circular No. 11, January, 1907, gave the results of the
cultural experiments conducted against the boll weevil during
1906, in co-operation with the Bureau of Entomology of the

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LOovuISsIANA—CIRCULAR No. 13. 3

United States Department of Agriculture. The results obtained
in these experiments were most gratifying, and they thoroughly
demonstrated the efficiency of the cultural methods when prop-
erly applied. Copies of thesé two circulars are before you.*

EXHIBITS AT STATE AND PARISH FAIRS.

At the State Fair at Shreveport, held November 17 to 28,
1906, the Commission installed an exhibit illustrating the princi-
pal injurious insects of the State and the measures to be used
in preventing damage by them or in controlling them. The
exhibit occupied 800 squate feet of floor space and consisted of
about 50 large photographs, glass cases of insects, spray pumps,
eotton plants taken from our experimental fields in the boll weevil
infested section, ete. A model of a small farm, illustrating the
pasture rotation method of eradicating the cattle tick, attracted
much attention, as did also the exhibit of live ticks engaged in
egg-laying. Bulletins and other literature, contributed both
by the Commission and the United States Department of Agri-
culture, were distributed to all farmers who desired them. Regis-
ters were kept in the exhibit space, where the visiting farmers
and fruit growers registered, their names afterwards being
placed on the permanent mailing list of the Commission. <A table
devoted to implements used in modern methods of bee-keeping
also attracted much attention.

Besides the exhibit at the State Fair, somewhat less pre-
tentious exhibits were displayed by the Commission at the Parish
Fairs of Avoyelles, Webster and Bienville Parishes. One or
more assistant entomologists were in charge of these exhibits,
explaining methods used in fighting various insects, answering
questions, distributing literature, etc.

It is certain that the good accomplished by these exhibits
in educating the farmers in the control of their worst enemies
far more than repays the State for the slight expense involved,
and I urge that similar exhibits be made this year at as many of
the parish fairs as possible.

?

*Circulars 10 and 11 will be sent free to any farmer requesting them, upon applica-
tion being made to Wilmon Newell, Secretary, Baton Rouge, La.

4 Crop Pest COMMISSION OF

STEREOPTICON LECTURES.

During the past year a good stereopticon, or magic lantern.
has been secured, and is now used for illustrating insects and
methods of control before meetings of farmers, fruit growers.
ete. A considerable number of interesting lantern slides have
been obtained by purchase, while many others have been made
in our own laboratory at Baton Rouge, so that we now have
several hundred slides, from which selections can be made for
illustrating almost any phase of insect warfare. During the
past few months the entomologist and his assistants have given
stereopticon lectures at a number of towns, among them being
New Orleans, Calhoun, Lake Charles, Marksville and Marin-
eouin. It will be our policy from now on to furnish lecturer
and lantern free of charge to farmers’ meetings and associations
anywhere in the State whenever requested to do so.

CO-OPERATION WITH THE BUREAU OF ENTOMOLOGY.

In accordance with the plans arranged at the beginning of
the fiscal year, July 1, 1906, the boll weevil investigation work
has been conducted in co-operation with the Bureau of Ento-
mology, Dr. L. O. Howard and Dr. W. D. Hunter having as-
signed three Special Field Agents to duty in Louisiana in this
work, the salaries and traveling expenses of these field agents
being paid by the Bureau.

Cultural experiments were conducted at Logansport, Batch-
elor and Willow Glen during 1906, the results of which are
siven in Cireular 11. Other experiments were conducted in
Vernon and Caleasieu Parishes to test the merits of a somewhat
eenerally established theory to the effect that late planting of
cotton would prevent damage by the boll weevil. The results
of these experiments, while negative, demonstrated the utter
impractieability of such a scheme. The full report on these
experiments,* as well as the report upon similar experiments
conducted by the Bureau of Entomology in Texas,t I have here

for your reference.

*This report will shortly be printed and distributed to the parties upon the Com-
mission’s mailing list. ;
+Willappear in the Yearbook of the U. S. Dept. of Agriculture for 1906.

Louistana—Circuuar No. 13. 5

On Feb. 28th, 1907, Mr. J. B. Garrett, one of the Field
Agents assigned by the Bureau to work with the Commission,
tendered his resignation in order to accept a position at the
North Louisiana Experiment Station. After some delay, Mr.
Clarence E. Hood, of Amherst, Mass., was appointed by the
Bureau to sueceed Mr. Garrett.

Upon April 1st, Mr. C. W. Flynn, who was also a special
Field Agent of the Bureau of Entomology, resigned his position
as such to take charge of actual field work for the Commission
in the work of cattle tick eradication. Mr. T. C. Paulsen, of
Baton Rouge, has been appointed by the Honorable Secretary
of Agriculture to fill out Mr. Flynn’s unexpired term, until
June 30, 1907.

On account of the congressional appropriation for bol!
weevil investigations having been much reduced by the last
Congress, the Bureau of Entomology will not be able to assign
more than two men to the investigation work in Louisiana during
the coming fiscal year, which commences on July 1.

In co-operation with the Bureau of Entomology, we have
made plans for cultural experiments at Mansfield and at Marks-
ville, La., the prime object in both cases being to test the cultural
remedy for the boll weevil under local conditions and upon
different soils, and also to. give planters in these sections an
upportunity to actually visit the experimental fields and note
the methods employed.

A new line of work in connection with the weevil investiga-
tion is being undertaken. This is a study of the different species
of inseets which prey upon, or are parasitic upon, the boll weevil,
or which are manifesting a tendency to acquire a taste for the
weevil. Preliminary investigations of this subject already made
hy Dr. Hunter in Texas have revealed a number of natural
enemies of the weevil which can without doubt be artificially
inereased and so distributed that each of the natural enemies
shall be disseminated over the entire weevil infested territory.
This is an attempt to utilize Nature’s own forces and methods
in solving the problem, and I incline to the opinion that in this
direction will. be found the ultimate satisfactory solution of the
boll weevil problem.

6 Crop Pest CoMMISSION OF

ORGANIZATION OF WORKING STAFF.

On Feb. 28, 1907, Mr. Harper Dean, Jr., Assistant Entomol-
ogist, resigned his position to accept a better-paying position
in Virginia. Upon the authorization of the Active Chairman.
Mr. G. A. Runner, of Columbus, Ohio, was appointed as his
successor. Mr. Runner is expected to report for duty about
April 15th.

Having under consideration the main lines of work to be
conducted this season, and the men available, your Secretary
would recommend the following plan of work and organization
of working force: :

Boll weevil investigation, to be conducted by Messrs. C. E.
Hood, T. C. Paulsen and Wilmon Newell, as Special Field Agents
of the Bureau of Entomology.

Field work in cattle tick eradication, in co-operation with
the State Experiment Stations and Bureau of Animal Industry,
to be in charge of Mr. C. W. Flynn, Assistant Entomologist,
assisted by such inspectors as may be needed as the work de-
velops, and as funds may be secured for their employment.

Nursery and orchard inspectiow work, to be conducted under
the general supervision of Mr. Arthur H. Rosenfeld,. assisted by
Mr. G. A. Runner, the letter gentleman to do the bulk of actual
inspection work, Mr. Rosenfeld to also have charge of exhibits
at Parish and State Fairs, to attend to correspondence and work
relating to fruit insects, and to serve as office and laboratory
assistant to the Secretary.

Investigation of life history of the cattle tick, experiments
with parasiticides, sprays, dips, ete., for the cattle tick, to be con-
ducted by M. S. Dougherty, assisted by one untrained helper.
who will construct cages, make photographs and do general
mechanical and routine work.

Bookkeeping, clerical work and stenographie work, to be
done by Miss L. E. Renneker and Miss C. J. Renneker, stenogra- |
phers.

HORSE FLY INVESTIGATION.

During the summer of 1906, Mr. Jas. S. Hine continued his
investigation of the horse fly nuisance in Louisiana and added
much to our knowledge of the life histories and habits of these

Louistana—Circuuar No. 13. i |

~

pests and their natural enemies. Mr. Hine’s report upon his
investigations for the past year has been submitted to the Secre-
tary, and is a valuable scientific work, but on account of our
present shortage of funds the Scesctars has some hesitancy in
ordering same printed.
The horse fly investigation, while of great importance to
the live stock interests, will have to be suspended for lack of
money to carry on the work.

CIRCULARS AWAITING PUBLICATION.

The Secretary and his assistants have manuscripts ready for
publication upon a variety of important subjects relative to the
injurious insects of the State, but for lack of funds they cannot
at present be issued. Among these may be mentioned the fol:
lowing:

‘‘Report upon Experiments in the Late Planting of Cotton,
with a View to Averting Damage by the Boll Weevil.’’

‘The White Fly of the Orange and Its Treatment.”’

‘““Second Report upon the Horseflies of Louisiana.’’

‘“The Use of Carbon Bisulphide for the Destruction of Gar-
den and Household Insects.’’

““Control of the Peach Tree Borer.’’

‘“‘Methods for Destroying Ants, and Preventing Damage by
Them.’’

‘“The Sweet Potato Weevil.’’

In addition to these, accumulated notes and results wi'l
shortly enable vs to have ready other papers of immediate preu-
tical importance.

-. NURSERY AND ORCHARD INSPECTION WORK.

I am pleased to report that the work of the Commission in
tbe inspection of nurseries and in protecting fruit growers by
prohibiting the sale of trees infested with San Jose scale and
other dangerous insects, has been highly appreciated over th»
entire State. The San Jose scale has been completely eradicate:i
from several important nurseries where it had obtained a foot-
bold, and under the protection given by the Commission’s regu-
lations increased investments in orchards have been made ju
many localities. During the past year the nursery business of

Crop Pest CoMMISSION OF

the State has increased almost 400 per cent. During the current
season we have inspected 2,207,300 trees and plants intended
for sale, as against the inspection of but 683,500 during the
year previous. During the current season also we have issued
‘“‘health certificates’’ to 50 nurseries within the State, as against
certificates issued to 27 nurseries during the previous season.

We have every reason to believe that this increase in the
fruit growing industries has been due largely, if not entirely.
to the protection against deadly enemies which has been afforded
the growers by the Crop Pest Commission. The express and
railroad companies have given us their full support in enforcing
the regulations governing the shipment of nursery stock, and
we believe our inspection system to be now so thoroughly organ-
ized and effective that it is almost impossible for a Louisiana
farmer to purchase a fruit tree infested with any dangerous
insect or disease.

FIGHTING THE WHITE FLY OF THE ORANGE.

In the spring of 1906 we attempted the introduction of the
so-called ‘‘red-pink fungus’’ into Louisiana orange groves. This
fungus destroys the white fly of the orange, and is therefore
highly beneficial. I am pleased to report that despite the fact
that a severe drought made conditions very unfavorable for
this attempt last spring, we succeeded in getting this beneficia!
fungus well established at Lake Charles, La., and on the trees
where it is at work upwards of 95 per cent of the white flies
on the trees were killed during the winter. We are now attempt-
ing to get this same fungus established in the orange groves in
Jefferson and Orleans Parishes, and as material is available, we
hope to establish it in all of the principal orange growing par-
ishes of the State.

An extensive series of spraying experiments upon orange
trees was begun at the Audubon Park Experiment Station dur-
ine January and February, 1907. Various formulae and sprays
were tested for the purple scale, white fly and other insect ene-
mies of citrus fruits. While our observations on these experi-
ments have not been completed, the present appearance of the
sprayed trees indicates that some of the materials used will
prove efficacious and of great value to the orange growers in
keeping their groves in good, healthy condition.

LovuiIs1saNa—Circuuar No. 13. 9

THE NEW ORLEANS ANT.*

I wish to call the attention of this Commission to an intro-
duced insect enemy that promises within a few years to do enor-
mous damage to the agriculural interests of this State, and
which at the same time is going to present a most difficult prob-
lem for solution. I refer to the so-called ‘‘New Orleans ant,’’
which is already a bad household pest in New Orleans and
Baton Rouge, and which has already spread to the towns of
Alexandria, Lafayette and Lake Charles and to intermediate
territory. This ant cares for and permits the increase of almost
every species of plant louse and scale insect, and as the indirect
result of its presence thousands of trees and plants in the city
of New Orleans have already been killed. The ant does not
confine itself to facilitating the increase of other injurious
insects, but is itself injurious. The present spring it has de-
stroyed the entire prospective orange crop at Audubon Park,
by eating the fruit buds, and last year was the cause of heavy
losses to orange growers through Plaquemines and adjacent
parishes. It is also guilty of causing the increase of the ‘‘poo-a-
push,’’t an insect very injvrious to sugar cane. Unless measures
are found for the control of this pest, the orange industry of the
State is doomed; and eventually the success of the sugar cane
industry is likely to be threatened by it. All fruit industries
will suffer from its presence. As it destroys or drives out all
native species of ants, its appearance in the cotton fields is not
unlikely to result in increased damage by the boll weevil. The
most active enemy which the boll weevil has in Louisiana is the
small ‘‘fire ant,’’t and the latter may possibly be exterminated
or driven out of the cotton fields by the ‘‘New Orleans ant.’’

We have no funds with which to inaugurate an investigation
of this pest or to find methods of control, but unless steps are
taken very shortly against it, the agricultural interests of the
State will pay toll to it to the extent of many hundreds of thou-
sands of dollars.

* Tridiomyrmex humilis Mayr.

+ Dactylopius sp.
t Solenopsis geminata Fab., var.

10 Crop Pest COMMISSION OF

CATTLE TICK ERADICATION.

Among the many pests that we have to contend with in Lou-
isiana, there is none that is causing such heavy losses as the
cattle tick. In several localities in the State the ticks are so
abundant that the raising of cattle has been almost entirely
abandoned. The tick has few if any natural enemies to hold it
in control, and the agricultural methods employed have resulted
in a yearly increase in the number of ticks.

Unless eradicated, the ticks will continue their rate of in-
crease for years to come, until presently the production of beef
and dairy cattle in Louisiana will be an absolute impossibility.
There has been a remarkable awakening of the Louisiana agri-
culturists during the past few months to the importance of
eradicating the tick completely. We are receiving letters on
the subject from cattlemen and farmers all over ‘the State, and
many individual farmers have already commenced the work of
eradicating the tick on their premises.

As a result. of the appropriation of $150,000 by the last
Congress for the purpose of assisting the Southern States to
eradicate the tick, we have been proffered cxtensive wi-i in this
work by the Bureau of Animal Industry of the United States
Department of Agriculture. Ove of the condt'ons under which
this aid is offered is that the State of Lowsiana must herself
devote men and money to this work. No speeifie appropriation
having been made for this work by the Legislature, we can secure
this Federal aid, amounting probably to $10,000 or $12,000, only
by using a part of the Experiment Station and Crop Pest Com-
mission funds for the work.. With the approval of the Governor
and Active. Chairman of the Commission, your Secretary has
made provisional arrangements for commencing this work im-
mediately in co-operation with the Bureau of Animal Industry.
It is proposed during the coming week to send Mr. C. W. Flynn.
of the Commission staff, in company with Dr. Walter Sorrell, of
the Bureau of Animal Industry, to several different localities of
the State to determine in which parish the work of eradicating
the tick can be undertaken to best advantage. Immediately fol-
lowing the reports of these gentlemen some one parish will be
selected and work commenced by placing experts and local in-

LovuistaNna—Circuuar No. 13. ai

spectors in the parish to study conditions and instruct each and
every farmer in the parish how to proceed in order to eradicate
the ticks on his premises. It is proposed to make this work
largely, if not entirely, educational during the first few months,
and to induce owners of premises, by ‘‘moral suasion’’ rather
than by the enforcement of legal measures, to eradicate the ticks.

Regulations for the quarantining of infested premises, etc.,
will, however, eventually be necessary for the protection of the
farmers who have cleared their premises of the ticks, and I
would urge this Commission to adopt such regulations now in
order that they may be invoked when needed. Federal employes,
as such, cannot enforce quarantine measures within the State,
and it will therefore be necessary for this Commission to adopt
and enforce all quarantine regulations necessary to the suc-
cessful prosecution of this work. Federal employes engaged in
the work of tick eradication in Louisiana should be appointed in-
spectors of this Commission in order that they may have author-
ity to enter premises for inspecting cattle and for enforcing
quarantine when such becomes necessary, and I would recom-
mend that provision for such appointments be made at your
present meeting.

Respectfully submitted,

WILMON NEWELL, Secretary.

Baton Rouge, La., April 11, 1907.

nce

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