The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1851-09-06

1xs Army Wovm-Costox Cat~piAIsvs--A.
correspondent Of thes Charlsston Is. O. Msrcurys
faraishss that paper with an interesting article
mis- subject. We subjoin it:
There are, in shssunited Shtss twenty dis
dnct species Of imse6W that ere indisssiminatsly
called the Army Wosm- A large number Of our
iepidoptero deposit tAsir eggs in the ssme vicin-
~ hence the caserplhrs produced from them sIs
led 70 the maine Army Worm. Many Of these
spsoies feed sxclusivsly oahe lAves Of particular
species Of trees. Thsislm& 6ess It PhiladeIphia
asd to the sastwasd, have, for many yaars, been
alncet annually stripped Of their leaves BY ono
son, been 20 blishtsd By another species that the
woeds present the appearance Of severe frost.
lnseota have ahoundsd much more this seaaeu than
IN former years, owing to the fact that there was
not during the last winter in the South, sufficient
frost % destroy the lsrve. Hence the early sp-
PeazaDce and incredible number Of mosquitoes. and
. :smi.snnuel crop Of the Army Worm.
The spssies Of which We now hear 10 many
cempaints, differs widely from the cotton caterpii-
lar both in it, appearance and in al its habits. I,
- darker IN color, 10 less distinct striped on the
BACK, and in moving clsw!s steadily onward, in.
otsad Of reaching forward with ts feet then doub-
ling itself up By drawing in its hind legs and id.
vancng forward, like the cotton caterpillar it TO-
Also far less active than the latter species. Ii
ususiiy pskes As appearance in spring, feeds on
oets eAa ycung grass; when full grown it burrows
IA the ground, and after ten days the shrysals be.
comes ay, re.embling in shape the common house
~, put about four times the size, with two dark
longitudinal stripes on the thovax.
I'm the other hand, the cotton caterpillar sus.
pends IL cocoon TO bush, and il thus exposed Il
the atmospheFe the slightest degree of cold will
destroy 1t la any stage of its existence 1t 10 tro
oicei insect, and vsin only At long and irrsgu.
laf tntefvals. am confident it can never become
nstufaii1sd in our Southern country. do not BE-
iieye i has made its appearance this year.
ihs army worms Of which our planters and
iaimers make 90 many complaints, do not throw
ont successive crops Of young Ike the cotton cater
pillar they produce generally but one brood; thin
season they have given " two. If [ am not muct
deceived, they will all have entered the ground ir
one or two days from hence. and we will hear nj
more complaints Of them, this year. To guart
against them many remedies have been susRosted
have seen them efIectualiy kept out Of an o.
field BY surrounding it with ditch-the worm
tumbled In. and were too clumsy to make their e.
CAPE. When field Of grass il about to be 1t
lacked, 1t u safest to NOW it Immediately. Th>
pl0ughing of field in autumn which has been vie
lied By the army worm will efjectually destroy til,
iervo which have been deposited there. Tn,
army worm 10 avese to feeding on the cotton plant
but prefers grasses Of any kind, and isnot unwil
ling 70 lake bite At the cabbage leaves. Wher
nee held has been attacked, water should be 10
In, and the worm will disappear. Lime duste,
over them will in many instances destroy them.