Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1875-09-16
Sarm ann 6uussboln.
The currant Worm.

certainly been very aggravating for the
frult-grower to be compelled, from year to
year, to witness. the mischief done by this
pest. II is not pleasant sight TO see
patches ofcurrant bushes loaded with fruit.
but with every leaf eaten off. Some grow
ers have become so Disguised with this in
creasing mischief that they have dug up
their bushes and made one fire for them
and these hateful vermin together. Dust
ing these posts with white hellebOre does
not prevent their increase. They "come In
time" the following year. And the di>cov-
cry 10 which now ask attention is the fact
that at the very time while you have been
fighting these worms on the leaves they
have been working in three or four forms
in the gcound, in the air, and In the wood
OF the currant bush, thus preparing year
before for another onslaught upon you the
next Spring. have discovered that the
currant worm makes no less than eight
transformations, and am sure that it has
been for want OF this knowledge that il
has, up TO this time, been impossible even
To check its increase materially, and moth
ing whatever has been done effectually for
lis utter humiliation by destroying its
rhythm. What a labor is here presented
for >cirnce-whdt a subject for the consid-
Grafton of farmers and fruit-srowers. am
neither farmer nor gardener, but mere
Is a recent fruit-grower on a small scals
And albeit now well entered upon nv
eighth decade. did not ill a recent per-
iod. even know that any such pest as the
currant worm existed. nor that the curcu-
lIo the squash bug, the canAer worm, the
potato beetle. and the hopper of the West
were each in full blast, each in it, season
and neither of which ever fails TO come
To time and put in an appearance at the
hodr when the fruits ofthe poor man. tolls
are ready for their laws.
Many other pests have only four trans
formations; and it has been by patient, per
si~tent investigation that have traced the
currant worm through eight, and now de-
scribe the place where, by unity of system
attic effort in any given locality, it may be
utterly cxterminated. Early in May. and
Uail late iii June. it will be noticed that
more or less Of the new growths OF the
currant bush have been suddenly cut OF
! his cut i flat, taking off about four niche,
from the top, which thus falls TO the
ground Now, this the spot where a sue
ccs>iul blow may be struck against this ell
tmy. The egg from which the borer comes
Is deposited in the end OF that cutoff ste u,
SUI part OF the bush. The first week in
July l clipped from those tops an inch or
two, and in each piece | cut of | found
borer, some OF them within line of the
top, and so very small that they could only
he discovered by the microscope. In No
Vember last | had found these cutoff
stems. OF that season. dead downward
about eight inches. and In each one a Dor
er largely grown. Some Of these dead
stems | left till April this year when, Oh
examining them, discovered the borer
transformed to lily, somewhat light-col-
orod, and the same fly that have so often
detected in attaching its eggs so mathe-
maticaliy npon the under side OF the
II Is from these eggs that we have :he
worms that devour the cutrant leaves.
And now to the question | have in vain
20 often asked through he press, as to
what becomes of this feeding currant
worm when its mission has been fulfilled"
have found the true answer. placed a
few leaves with these worms upon them 10
GAS jar now on the table before me.
he next morning, only a few hours after.
/ found i number OF new worms on the
leaves, unlike those put into the jar.
They scrc N4ht-colored. with 4 tnge OF
yellow al each end. Aud have since wit
nc-std lie entire process of melting. both
u my jar and also on the leaves in the gar
deu. And this moltin. explains what Is
meant by those remains which appear up
on The leaves alter the feeding worms have
gone. nd it explains also where the white
grub has come from which fruit-growers
have noticed, now and then. in a quiescent
state with the feeding worms on the leaves.
had always observed that these white
grabs were never seen on any leaf but up
on which ! saw the skins, from which
have since found that they had molted.
The green worm. fully matured, fastens its
tail to the leaf, or stem, and raises its head,
which slowly opens, when the head of this
White grub appears, protrudins from the
body of the Old one, and gradually works,
hy pushing the old skin back with its legs.
4 ~, IL 90 fnr n
II never feeds, but soon falls to the ground
and enters the pupa state. In the jar saw
these molted worms descend TO its bottom.
They curled up and were soon encased in
black cell attached TO the glass and the
leaves. where they still remain. also took
some thirty leaves, with a white worm on
each one, ard carefully allowed the worms
to drop into atwo-quart glass jar half filled
with earth, and | saw each one of those
worms Immediately enter the earth out of
sAht. From this arrangement l am hop
ins to have good opportunity for inspect
ing that insidious fly that comes out OF the
ground in the Spring, and for the purpose
OF cutting of the new stems to which
have referred. This fly has never been de-
scribed in any work on entomology that
have seen. Nor have yet found the fruit
grower or the writer who has witnessed
the process by which this damage is done.
Nor am aware that the rhythm OF this
currant worm has ever been described
which is here given;
There are two forms Of fly, one of which
cuts off the stem and leaves its egg or eggs
in the top. The other attaches its eggs I'm.
der the leaves. Hence there are two forms
of eggs. From one the borer comes, and
from the other that nasty worm that strip:
the currant and the gooseberry bushes Of
their leaves. There are three forms of the
worm; one is borer; the second eats the
leaves and from this one another is mol