New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1861-07-29
THE ARMY WORM.
F.ea he on Colonp Memorial.


WORM wherever il has made its Appearance have been
ruly alarniDg and those have suffered most who
least ahle 10 bear their loses. few weeks ago,
destructive hailstorm swept over the district Of Wei.
lmgsly, destroying in great messnTe the garden and
field crops; and now the a'erpilar has taken what
the hail storm left. The southern limit Of the storm
and the worm IL Eel river; neither has extended its
olerations, in any considerable degree, moth Of Train
ing Green. This surprising combustion Of clrcuin-
has given rise TO many theories to account for
the appearance of the worn, Of which quite
anutng. 1t is Observable Of these theories, however,
that the more elaborate they are, the less satisfaction
they give. One Of these although wanting in novelty,
is accepted by very limited class Of minds as salts
factory solution. The hypothesis is based on the
of the people. First the hail was sent and failing 20
bring the people Of Hollis Hole 10 sense OF their
accomplish its mission, something more terrible is to
come The last, and most Ingenious of the &c theories
that we have heard Of eudeavoIs 10 account for the
appearance Of TIE caterpillar in those els dsn9gtd
most by the hail, by supposing that the eggs OF ne
insect were carried up into the clouds in the rising
vapor, and there Undecided In the huilstores and
fell TO tie earth. Hence the conjunction OF the storm
an tie worm
TIE an admitted feet that the caterpillar was first
discovered in those grsss and grain fields wleTe the
crop had been beaten down by the hail circumstance
which will warrant the conclusion az most consistent
with the general order OF nature, that the instinct OF
the insect discovered In the fallen grain The conditions
most favorable 20 the development Of the egg, and TIE
furnishing of the necessary food ard shelter to tie
young caterpillar THIS Of courso Is only ore oil the
reasons why we have the army worm, and others have
II not.
The worm so far as we know, has not been found
originally in any field Whose foil has been kept IN mo-
ton by cultivation during the season. Although corn
has been much damaged in instances, totally de-
stroyed, yet in no case, VIC think, have the worms
sesmed 10 ongiuae there but in some neighboi ing
grain field who1e surface mas not ieen disturbed ~
cultivation since Spring This fact has suggested tho
idea OF protecting The corn, which the food the cater
Iillae Eeeks next after oats and other small grdos
Fire wafer, ard many other forces have been applied
with oily part III succefs. The only continuance we
know fSat las accomplished its purpose, 10 sklfully
constructed ditch around the field TO be protected. 1t
might be Inferred from many publlfhed statements,
that ditch made by running plow twice in the came
furroyy, would be sufficient, but We know from actual
experience that this VII Prove 10 barrier whatever 10
the march OF tls grand Sery. The ditch should DO
about foot deep, foot ia SIS good % ten, with
pergepdcalar, or nearly ,PeTIeudioBiAr sides'
an inclined plane, nade by slOping the earth
Of the bottom at sRcl an an angle that dry sand
will pet lie tue surface. Ills can easily lie Done
bv drawing the earth OF the bottom against the sdes
and letting 1t fall into that position which lite own
weight VIII cause II to assume. At the top Of each
Size of the ditch another inclined plane should be made
~ the same manner as the one AZ the bottom. The
only reason Tor this second Inclination is 10 dOubly Tor
tify Tho portion, 80 that if Rebel escapes over the
first Re may be hurled bacS from the second. The en-
the efficiency Of the ditch viii fail unless these two
planes be kept in good condition by renewing the dry
sand wherever the surface becomes hard from moi;lnfe,
or from the continued eiiorte OF the 10 get over
If il Is desired 20 kill tie pests at once, and Judging
from our own experience, think the mort humane
will enjoy the most exquisite pleasure in doing 30,
holes eight or ten inches deep must he made IN the
bottom OF the ditch, at distance from each other Of
three four YARDS Into these pockets almost every
worn will work It's way, and become an easy prey TO
fac or any other force most convenient 10 he applied
In conversations which have lad with various
To tia we hfg
much surprised at the many crude notions widely prev
sent concerning inRecs generally. Many suppose that
maggoe grabs and caterpillars are created by some
mysterious process out OF the substance on which they
feed; that tie maggo found in carbon is produced by
spontaneous creation out Of the decompOsing fesh;
thst the maggO which appears IN cheese does not iOl
low the laws OF creation, but cheese Is tTns-
formed into organized being. 1t seems that many
of us, this subject have not yet advanced beyond
the old Ronan author who gives the details OF pro-
Gers for creating OF living bces out of the body
of dead bull. All insects proceed from eggs, or are
produced alive lust all other animals are They di
Ter from other aniInals however, in passing through
three distinct transformations, in each OF which they
change so much that common observer would not
recognize them as the animals. All es, IN their
frat state are commonly called maggCis, which are
without feet; 10 beetles, bees wesls and other insects
Of the same class the Of grub is applied butter
flies and moths known as caterplaTs In this stage
OF their existence, insects exceedingly vOrGcions
end destruction follows their path. The instinct OF
tine parent insect teaches il where deposit its eggs
that the appropT rate food may be acceptable 20 her
Young. The fly places its eggs in PURIFYING flesh he
cause that VIII furnish the proper food TO the maggct
The bee provides store Of honey for tho sare pur-
nose The butterfly and moth choose vegetable pro-
ductions One kind passg by the pear tree, selects
he apple tree az its place Of Deposit another chooses
lie oak although tho foliage OF these trees furnish
food for tho parent butterfly, which Lives on liquids
alone.
There magqots, gruls and catcrpillars very eoon,
commonly III few weeks, undergo a change which
generally leaves ;hcm in "a dormant condition in which
for the most part they take no food. In order 10 pro
tec itself ia ibis defeDseless state, the caterpillar pre-
vious to its transformation, iis body with kind
Of varnish or wesves around itself cocoon or web
which preserves il from many Of the casualties TO
which il is exposed Insects IN this second stage Of
transformation are called chry Aids, IN which form
they generally spend the Winter. In tue spring they
burst their grayeclOthes aud appear for the Tst time
Is winged insects. Thus tie foul maggot weighing
in carbon becomes perfect fyi the ropulsiye cater
pillar changes into the beautiful moth or butterfly.
These are the three changes to which all insect life is
subject 1t is only in tho last state that insects pro
duce their like.
The caterpillar, species of bich il at the present
time ravaging our fields is the lost destructive OF all
Insects OF those that are natives OF Massachnsettf
about five hundred different kinds are known, and
many others remain to be described As each female
butterfly or moth may produce eight hundred eggs in
season the rate nj which ca'erpars increase 10 very
alarming when we know from experience what they
can accomplish. W efnd there IL a notion prevalent
that the Army worm may multiply the present ssgson,
and on this account it feared that the removal Of
worm TO place where none are found, would result
in propagatng there this fearful enemy. Tn, fear
groundless. No caterpillar can produce its like. The
worms that we now have in our fields will enter the
ground and sperd the Winter their chrysalis state,
eappear next Spring in he form Of beautiful moth,
live few weeks, fitting about by night multiply and
die friend OF ours however insists that he has dis
covered Young within caterpillar the present sea2on
This NAV be explained bv suppOing he found the mag