The Army Worm

Tlio íannors of Rastert] Massncliusol Is are f'ull of ippreheimioii it tho pi-os])flct, of hnrinji' tliöir drop la'nl waste by r.ii.eneniy se tlionm h in hU Work ol' ilevM-'tMl ion tli.it scMivcly any , nvii iIiju' su: vivos iü tho track oí nis ili'iully in s cl i. Tlii.s slranc creatui'o, wliich sei'iiid lo li ivc beón espuciilly coinniissioiH) i bv nU'.iro a-; n lOSfhij'l'l' i-; :i "iIt;Í1;u-, the hum wf n ni_;lit-ilyiii4 nmth. It derivo Hfcj irinic trom tt [icculhl' k-ibits, wliicii i;ivo U u uvjv bo .y of thüin in niotiun tlio ti)pu;ir:tnc; ot a vast and wcll-ocgánizoJ anny, dist.ilict Icvlers, anil iijovin,' Wit li ii rezulnrily suifcslivi' of niililurv procision. It is saiil tliat the woniis move; in fegutHt' uro;cssiiii, sometimos in single lile, and Suiimtinics two, tliruu, dr lour liii'uast, tUe quIudiim l)oi 1114' su perfecily tbrnieJ that the lioad of onb is nover beyünil the lread of ftiiotlieï in the row. T.iey lollow tlicir leaders, stopping Wlien tiicy stop, joiirncying trom 011e plant to another, and retnrnini; M'itli tiii: .sanie renl ir iiiovenieius. Tliey vary in color und size according to locality uit I aü'c, bnt tlieir characteritiüs iro constant. In le-ngth they range froiil one to one and three-quarters hiclies, in color they are of a ihirk gray, willi tliree narrovv ye.lowish stripes above and a broader ono of Uie samo color, or eüg.htly tlarker, oncach sidc. Xney are iliinly corerott willi short liair.s, longcr and soincwliat tliickcr 011 and abuut tho liea.l, tliis nieinber bein ot a polished honeyycllow, with a JieL-work of ünc dark brown lincs and a black line on Uie 1'roiiL likc the Jeller V' reversed. It luis sixteen leys and a prodigiosa appetite, enablin it to cat tvvice itsown weiuht 111 twenty-four liours. Varions nietliods are adoptcd to check the rav.ig'es of tho pe.-st. Tliü eonunonest, and perhaps the easiest is to piow v noiiule iurrow aroiuut the lield or across any part of the field that Lhey aro maruhing towaiM. lho steejj sido uL tbc furrow inust bo tovvüi'il thé unharmed portiön of the erop, so Unit wlien the wurm aUenipts to crawl up it niay filU back. Il is nol ouough to nin üie plow unce in tlic lturuw, it is botter to do it twioo ur tiiree tunes, and to renow it when washeil down by the rahlS. Wherc the soil is stilt and stony, liowovcr sleep Lhe ridge niay be, the wonns wilt clinib over it; it is unly where the soil is Hght and friable tliat iliia expedient serves the purpose of protccLion. in any case it is best to have tvvo fuiYows, une a eonplc ui'i'eet Iroin the other and parallel with it. Wlien the wonns are trapped in the furrows they niay be got rul oi by layiig dry straw down on tlicni and setting liio to it. Whero thore is dangur tliat the lire may cxlend and do daniage, hogs can be turneé in, and tliey will inaKo short work of the worms. Another muthod, whieh might be described as the heroio prooess, is to run a heavy iron roller over the field, crushing the wonns .uuder it. It Sabes but iittie pressure irom this to kill theui. When the ground cnanees to bo rough aua uneven this inolhoddoes not serve as weü, as the wonns take reiuge in the hollows. The time to roll is when they ave feeding, andainong the lea ves becausc at other times they aro sheltered and niauy escape. Aller Lhe crup is removed froiu the ñclils where the vvurnis are, hogs niay be turnod in, and chic keus, turkeys and duoks, all uf which will scareli out and devour the worms. Öheep, it' tho ilock is a. large om?, will kill uiany of the worms by trampling on thein, if turne.l into the lield, and if crows and blaokbirds put in appearance they should not be molestod, for they wil! eat the calerpillars in prefcrence to tho grain. The ariny worm fceds on leaves, flowers, roots, buds, seeds, and even the wuod of p.anLs, in a word, anything of a vegetable charaoter.