Nebraska advertiser., 1856-06-07
cUT-woRMs AND THErR DrsrRUCrIoN.

EDTfORs OF THE Country GENTLE
MAN Reading inthe last two numbers
Of your paper, the interesting account
CT the t'cut-worm," and its habits, by
DR.. Fitch, / was reminded Of an exter-
minating war that dates back to 1910.
l viii give actual experience, and the.
result q sure remedy for the mischief
of the worm, that has not failed for
fifteen years.
E. Risley & Brothers, myself being
one of the number,) had a piece of
onions, containing three acres, which,
after being wed out the second timeiIl
June, when all were standing well, were
entirely destroyed by the worm, and
the land was plowed up. Twenty hands
we're engaged for more than one week
to save the crop, and in that time there
was bushels of the worms destroyed
this viii appear incredible, but it is
true)-as some of the hands gathered
them in cups so thata an accurate account
could be kept. In this case there APP
peareda kind of necessity that general
~lyprecedes invention. Late in the fall
the land was plowed, and inthe winter,
it being open, it was again plowed,
and the practice of fall-plowing has
been yearly kept up, and in winter
when possible, and the result has been
perfect safety from injuries by the
worm. Before the time mentioned,
the onion crop was often much injured,
and always a large surplus of small
onions were left to provide for the
ravages of the cut worm, which caused
great addition to labor in thinning out.
| am inclined to believe, however,
that the egg hat produces the worm
is Matched in the spring, and not in the
fall, as stated by DR.. Fitch. The
miller, Like all hat class of insects
that occupy two annual stages, the
worm and the. miller, deposits its eggs
in the fall and dies. In the spring, as
warm weather approaches, the worm
is produced, and the same amount Of
warmth that brings forward the tender
plant, natures the worm to destroy it,
and so rapid is its career that two OF
three weeks ends its work in that
capacity. If the worm lived through
the winter, there would all sizes appear
early in the spring, ,but the first seen
are not more than one-eighth or one
quarter of an inch long, and all about
the same; therefore I conclude that
the eggs are deposited in the fall, SO
protected that if left undisturbed, they
would produce the worm, but the pillow
ing changes their situation, and so ex-
poses them that they are destroyed.
Ny observation has also induced me
to believe thatthe worms, thoughactive
in the night, are not such pedestrians
as to travel fromfield to field. I have
known, where land was prepared by
blowing for the crops the worm would
destroy, and only separated by an
alley six feet wide. from land where
roots were set for seed, and consequent
ly as there was no fear of the worn
the land was not plowed in the fal
that the worms were so numerous tina
they would cut down beans or cucum
bers about as fast as they would com,
up when planted among the other crops
and would also cut off leaves from
seed onions, but rarely if ever pas
this alley, where small and tende
plants the worms most relish wer,
standing; although the worm woul,
: probably go muchfarther in some othe
direction; as no green plants wer
!, growing in this alley there would b
, little inducement for. them to cross il
WIN. RIsLEY.-Fred0nia, n. 7.