Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1861-08-23
rrom The Pi.c,tsqui. Observer.
Guards.--Beware OF the Army Worm

Friend Edes. All1w me 20 call the atten-
,ien oC your readers 10 the dangers OF ihis
terrible pes, before they suGsr by 10. 4
simple .,atsmen, Of the ravascs Of the army
worm may seem to bs thing incredible:
but the following is nevertheless strictly
true.
I have to-day been to see piece OF Bar
ley belonging TO Mr.. J. II. Rimsiell in AZ.
kiusOu. which Was entirely destroyed by
,hi. worm In abou, thirty.sir hours. In
the piece there j. u tribe les than two acres
and il Was 80 stout and handsome ,ha, a
gentleman offered Mr.. Il seventy Eve bush.
el. Of barley Tor the piece jus, as i, was then
in the Geld. Mr.. Il. thought il was worth
more and declined the offer, bu, the mex,
evening he noticed that there were few
worms ON = liIile spo, three or tour rods
square. by the next morning yesterday
they bad spread over nearly half the piece.
A, the barley was nearly ripe enough 70
cut. several men were Immediately set 70
moving il down, hoping thus to savc II;
but before they could NOW il, the worms
had .prvah over the whole piece. The bar
lev lay in .wath till today noon, when
saw il, and give it as my opinion that not
more than one straw in thousand had q
uho!s hsaf on il. I, is total ruin. Prob
ably bu.hel could no, be threshed from al
the straw ,ha, grew on the whole piece
The worms first made their appearance
nigh, before la.i-,his morning their work
Of destruction Was complete, being perform
el in ,hirty-siI hours Besides this they
ate up fne growth Of nsv grass. root anc
brapch the ground having been sown do~r
last spring. No. satisfied with thi. victory
the army next marched on Mr.. Ram'dell''
eornseld. which lay Contiguous. This wa
saved by having ditch one aud half fee
deep dug round il. The worm, found ,heii
way into the ditch bu, not having scAlin.
ladders ,hey were unable to get out. IL
such 4 pligh, the cruel natives came dowr
upon them with spades aud hoes. and thous
and. Of the poor fellows lOst their lives
They mex, invaded the " sacred coil OF Z
II. Hanson. Mr. RS nearest neighbor
They attacked hi. barley fret; but Mr. ii
Ou,ssneraled them by getting large crew
o, men, AMI upon their frs, appearance to
day cutting and hauling Il Immediately
away, aud speaaing !, out to dry on an ok
field Of sresn.Ward.
Ths army worm is from an inch 10 NJ
inch and half in length. and exactly re
sembles the common apple tree worm or cat
erpillar. with the exception tha, It has les
fur. I, burrows in the Light turfs on th
surface OF the ground where !, seems to or
/ iciuate, and where il maIes i,s home. /
begins il, work by climbing the stalk. ther
gnawing OF the boards OF the grain. tbeI
descending little. and biting OF the stall
Just below the head. On the field allude'
to above. the ground Is literally eo'ere'
with the heads Of barley and the 'hCLeioH
Of head,-a little more time and roy ker
mel will have been eaten. The yoraciiy o
this worm and the rapidi,y with which II
tsvOar'. i' perfectly astonishing. Let tar
ners watch their crops cons.antly 1t the!
do not wish to lose all the Ia bors and fruir
of the season. SEwALL BRowS.
EAsr Down, Aug. 10. 1851.