Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1857-08-28
a6liF..!tl1!.Ffttt da8 Iaffisstit.
.NTME tA,ItMY IWORnT1

80 81 H AKIN hO1thA
This Restrictive worm. whose history
and character extracted from the Patent
Office Report for the year 1855, will be
found below, has appeared in unusual
iUrce, and ever avery wide extent, with
in the last two or three weeks in certain
sections of theS State. On the lower James
RlYer and the contiguous counties IN low
Er York River counties, and in the North
Crn Neck it has been'particularly dastruc>
tive. In the neighborhood Of Richmond
also, and of Hanover Court House, it has
done or is doing good deal of damage.
A friend from Weslmoreland gives sad
account OF its ravages in that region, and
asks for remedy.
We proceed to give one that we found
completely etFectual when practicable,
and which it occurs to us we have stated
before. tits nothing more than the en-
ployrnent of hogs to exterminate them.
In the year 1844, about the last of May,
they appeared in countless myriads on
the wheat field of Col, Thomas ]. Ran
Golph OF Edge Hill, in the county of AL.
bemarle. Their course was pretty near
y due North, and they stripped the wheat
of blades through the field. North Of
that field. anu adjoining it. we had a
pasture in which were many hogs and a
few turkies. As the army worm entered
the field they were eagerly deyoured by
the hogs. aud the turkies got what escap-
edithe hogs. Both seemed to prefer them
to any other food. and we do not think a
single caterpillar crossed the field. Tho
wheat crop, though they had stripped it
Of leaves, WAS good one. They return
IAI in nIV linn pnrSnH IF a
tcu yeats. We have heard that the same
plan has been partially tried in Henrico
ar Charles Guy and with success as far
as IL went.
AHother plan we have heard has been
tried By 'Nlr. Blake, the steward of Mr..
AIM. Allea's Catles' Neck property He
dug ditch along the line of the wheat
field. ploug hing it out about foot or
somewhat more in depth and shoveling
out the earth. The ditch was about q
foot wide al Bottom. and nine inches at
the top. thus reversing the form of an
ordinary ditch. which is slOped from the
top TO the bottom, whereas this was
Bloped from the bottom to the top. But
this reversed slope was on the side next
the corn or oats. the side next the wheat
being perpendicular. In this bottom, at
intervals Of about twenty feet, were peck
cts. sloped OIL all four sides from the bot.
tom to the top. and Of such dimensions as
to admit au ordinary wedding hoe. In.
to this ditch tie worms fell IS they were
attempting to cross, and when collected
in it and the pockets in sufficient numbers
they were mashed by the hoes, In this
way Mr.. Blake says he killed them all,
and has saved his corn crop, and perhaps
his oats. The work took him about o
week.
Our friend Mr.. VIM. G. Thompkins,
reports that he saved his crop of wheat
on his farm in Chesterfield by sowing
corn in wide belt all around the wheat
on which the worm fed until it grew to q
chrysalis state. This may do very well
when we know they are coming. but rare
ly. We should think. be OF any general
utility.
1nsecs, particularly ants, will be seen to
eat good many OF them, and birds get
numbers {! ihr,nt Eyyry man who was
III .a"u3i. to shoot d crow has lost a
I!cnd Ia this emergency that would
Lave been Worth money to him.
As soon as the worm reaches its full
size il ei her dies or passes into the
probably have reached this state by OF
before the last OF June and it is proba
bile that they will not return again fol
some years.
The extent Of their depredations. can
not of course. be known now but We ap
prehenG that it will be considerable
though not as heavy as many person.
seem to anticipate. At Shirley, Westoyer
and Curle's Neck. where they aboundec
to such an extent that we are informed
'hey had TO be swep! out of the houses
IN some cases by persons constantly sta.
toned at the doors with brooms and pro
vided with hot water 10 scAld them, III,
loss to the wheat is estimated at fourth
to a third crop. AS usual the poor crop
have suffered most and in those case
the damages may be greater Souther,
Planter.