The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1864-05-26
Cut Worms.

read q paper on this subject from which
We make the following extracts.
We discover the ravsges Of these in
scots 50 soon as our garden vegetables ap
pear above ground, when tho worm
emerging from the soil during the night,
eats the stalks, generally above the sur.
facs-in the morning he retreats, bur
rowing near the roots, and often drags
the uuconsumed portion Of the young
plant after him. Tho worms resemble
each other in their general appearance,
and might readily be taken for .one spe
cies, and hence they are considered indis.
criminate feeders, as they consume any
of our garden products, but it may be
found that a certain species of these rus
tic moths are provided for different spe-
cies Of our culinary vegetables--as the
deuastator for the cabbage, another for
the corn and so on. Their habit of dcs-
cendiog into the earth very near to the
plant they have consumed, however, is
common to all the species, and enables
the gardener to discover and destroy them
by digging them out.
Dr. Melsheimer, of Pennsylvania, is
quoted by DR.. Harris to the following ef.
feet: "The corn cut worms make their
appearance in grcat numbers at irregular
periods aud confne themselves to no par.
ticular vegetables; all that are succuent
appear to be relished by these indiscrim-
mate devourers, but they prefer the maize
plants when not more than few inches
above the oarth. They seek their food
in the night or in cloudy weather, aud
retire before sunrise into the ground, or
beneath stones or other shelter from the
rays Of the sun. The transform alton in
pupa occurs at different periods, earlier
or later, according to the forwardness of
the season, usually not much later than
the middle of July" The pups become
moths in about four weeks.
of this insect, and learned something Of
its ways, We may be prepared to meet the
foe, but, unfortunately for US, the worm,
as we'll as the moth, being nocturnal,
they escape our observation until too late
we see the damage the worm has done to
our tender crops. The moth deposits
her eggs on the ground; they are beneath
our observation and the young worms do
little harm in the autumn, as they feed
chiefly on the roots of grasses. But
great numbers of the moths might be dc.
stroyed by burning lamps in vessels of
water, in the summer. In the winter the
young ones are supposed to lie in torpid
in the ground, and fall or winter plow
iua ha. heen recommended for their ex.
posure to the frost and to insectiverous
birds.
The insect being very clumsy, and un
able to climb up steep bank, it has been
recommended to make conical holes near
the plants, as traps, into which they
would tall when rambling about as they
do at night, in search of food, and it is
claimed that many are cat ght IN this
way, the holes being found half filled with
worms. This can only be prscticed
where the soil is tenacious, else the holes
will crumble down, and indeed the worms
could burrow away after falling in, if the
soil were mellow.
A very simple and efficient device, by
tho way Of prevention, is the application
Of strip Of paper, wrapped about the
stem Of the cabbage or other plant, at the
time of setting it out; this is SO applied
as to guard the stem for an inch or two
at and above the surface Of the ground
In my early experience we resorted to q
leaf of the hickory, or other tree for the
wrapping.
In the cornfeld, however, where the
dspredations of this inject are very an-
noying, and where hand picking is mani
festly out Of the question, other means
must be resorted 70. First IN importance
among these is the encouragement of our
insectivorous birds.
We are assured that the crow is seek.
ing these insects when he visits our corn
fields, and Mr.. Glover's examinations
prove this, and will no doubt give US a
higher regard for the visitor than we
have heretofore held, when calling him
the bird Of i'll omen. Most intelligent
farmers. where the crow abounds, have
already learned to appreciate his insectiv-
orous propcnsities, and to value his SER
'tcoS ooeoio'uS'yj dnu uiduJ hot ouiy ie-
sent an injury offered to their sable
friends, but take handfulls Of corn. to be
cast upon the surface Of the headlands OF
their fields.
Predacious insects destroy a great ma
ny Of the cut worms. One Of these, the
"Cutworm's Dragon" is mentioned by
Mr.. Fitch as "a large, black, rather sen.
der and fat larva of beetle, Of the fam
lily Carabida, probably the Pangus cali
ginosus; it is very agile in its motions
When not clutted with food, it is run.
ming about inccssantly, in search Of these
worms, and Stays them without mercy,
seizing them by the throat with its pow,
erful jaws, aud sucking their substance. "
Another is described by Mr.. Morrison in
the Albany Cultivator as follows: "a
remarkable insect, somewhat resembling
the black wasp, but longer, Of shining
black aud very active, was pointed out te
me as their natural enemy" This, he
says, hunts tho worm, as it were, by
scent, digs it out aud stiogs it, aud after
ward buries it in the ground. 1t is prob
ably species OF the Ichucumon fly