The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1861-07-04
The Army w orm.

This pestiforous thing, that is now
committing such ravages in Illinois,
Indiana, Ohio and other States is des-
cribed as follows - .an 1oiaf
The present worm is IL inches in
length of dark color light line runs
along the base of the sides with darker
stripes above; alight bony crest forms
the head with two dark lines running
back in the shape of an angle, with six
front or pectoral legs, eight central and
two anal legs. They are similar in ap-
pearance to the caterpillar, of green
ish gray color, and exist month or six
weeks, passing over, probably twenty
miles distance during that time, and
are as destructive as the locust.
Their first appearance is generally in
blue grass or timothy meadow, which
appear to be their favorite breeding
places. they eat off the green leaves
and heads, leaving the naked stalk
From this they travel in body to the
odjoining field, whether of corn or
small grain, and always in one particu-
lar direction, so far as we have obser-
we'd. They cleanthe corn before them,
eating out the heart of the shoot and
trimming off the leaves. Grass and
corn are their especial favorites.
Mr.. M. l.. Dunlap says, in relation to
the remedy: -
In the meadow there appears to be
none, but they are easily kept within it,
by blowing a deep furrow around the
field, with the Landslide of the furrow
next to the field they are about to in
wade. = frthey appear in very large
numbers, small holes should be dug
with spade in the bottom of the fur
row, a few feet apart, into which they
will fall, or small log can be drawn
along it with single horse three or
four times day. No farmer need lose
his corn if he will attend to them in this
way. Two or three hot days will end
then.n '.A .az,ee .-' g .. 2ai..,'5 aais eai.a
Mr. John Sigerson, an extensive
nurseryman and farmer near ST. Louis,
writes to the Ecening Ne,os, giving
some valuable suggestions to farmers
In reference to these destructive in
sects. He says the worm never makes
Its appearance after a wet fall and cold
winter. An unusually dry summer and
fall are always followed by warm
winter, which is followed in the spring
by army worms, cut-worms, grasshop-
pers, crickets, etc., and in fact, all In
sects that ever engage in opposition to
farmers. ...--e-~~ 800
Ia In order, then, to protect themselves
fully against this foe, farmers should
begin late in the fall and plow their
meadows so as to disarrange plans of
those insects and expose their deposits
to whatever frosts may come. + In this
way they are destroyed. A second
blowing in mid winter, if the ground
wiitadnitof it, and an additional freez-
ing, will not leave one to tell the story
of their destruction. .l.;l...........fe,
Ten acres of old meadow will pro-
duce army worms enough to eat and
destroy al! you can plant and SOW on a
section of land. Now if this is so, you
had better pillow up your meadow and
renew it, than to lose your meadow and
all other crops. -.
Any suggestions from farmer of
MIR. Sigerson's experience are valuable,
and deserving trial.
Emery's Prairie Former says =
Ditching, drawing logs over them,
and turning hogs in upon them, are the
expedients being tried to effect their
destruction, but to little purpose. IN
extreme cases meadows have been
burned over to stay their progress, but
they are still marching on, spreading
desolation in their pathway. 1t is for
tunate they appear SO seldom-it is Pc
culiarly unfortunate they areto scourge
rs this year." 50