The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1878-05-15
AGRICULTURAL.
Farmers, X Oes.

AGRICULTURAL.
Farmers Foes.
THE POTATO BUG.
OF the insect pests which annoy the thrifty
New-England farmer, and devour the SUBJ
stance OF the shiftless one, the potato bug is
prehaps the most dreaded, discussed, and
warred against. He is the notorious bad one
OF his family, but he can hardly be said to be
the most destructive; doubtless, his appetite,
disposition, and industrious habits fit him to
do more damage than any other is capable of,
but he was advertised SO far in advance of his
coming, that we were prepared to deal with
him when he got here, and, bad as he was,
he yielded to patience, perseverance, and Par
is green. 1t cost something to fight him, but
be was conquered, and, though he returns to
the attack three or four times every season,
he is as often overcome, and has not yet sue
ceeded IN running, or very seriously damaging,
the crops upon which he preys.
There is one thing to be said in his favor,
and that is he is an open enemy and takes no
unfair advantage. OF the necessity of meet
ing him promptly, and of the method OF deal
ing with him we need say little, for he has
been the study of our farming community for
the past two years, and is now thoroughly ap-
preciated and understood. In this State last
year. he was generally hand picked, and this,
though laborious method, is not as bad as it
appears. In few sections, Paris green was
extensively used, and this did the business
well, but there are many who object to its use
on account of its poisonous properties, and,
when the bugs are taken in season, before
they become too numerous, they can be dealt
with without it.
THE GRASsHoPPER.
The potato bugs Western brother, the
grasshopper, appeared in a few localities last
year. and did considerable damage. He is
worse enemy than the bug, and we know of
no way of preventing his drepredations. He
eats every green thing, and is at home any
where. He is the tramp of the tribe, as law
less, as hungry, as tough, and as destructive.
When he comes in force, we know of nothing
to do but to grin and bear it. He has never
caused such wholesale ruin here as marks his
track 10 the West, but he devoured an enor-
nous amount OF feed last year, and in few
localities, as the upper valley of the Merrmac,
destroyed the grain crop.
UNDERGROUND PESTS.
There are three species of worms which at
tack the staple field crops under ground: the
wire-worm, the large grub-worm, and the cut
worm. For the wire-worm we know of no
their young plants from it by preparing the
seed, and using commercial fertilizers in the
place of barn-yard manure.
The old-fashioned white grub-worm, which
eats the heart out of the young corn plants
causing them to wither and die, NAV be
traced by the mischief he has done, dug out,
and destroyed.
For a preventive there is probably nothing
better than salt, the application of which is
thus described: ''Take one part common
salt and three parts plaster of gypsum, and
apply about tablespoonful around each hill.
1t will be found to be sure protection. The
mixture should not come in contact with
hQ MA nc m fbop
this method has been tried over and over
again by some of the best farmers in Penn
sylvania, Delaware and Jersey, and. when
properly applied has never failed to be per-
fectly successful. We hope our farmers, who
have reason to fear the depredations of the
grub, the present season, will try this mix
ture, leaving few alternate rows of corn
without the salt. and communicate to US the
result. The application also acts.as first-class
fertilizer, and will more than pay for itself in
benefting the crop. The salt should be APP
piled as soon as the plants appear above
ground.
The cut-worm will eat anything from cab
bage plants to potatoes. 1t works just be.
meath the surface of the ground, cutting off
the young plants. In the garden it may be
practicable to dig these out and kill them one
by one, and that is the only way by which to
stop them when they once get to work.
These worms are the progeny of moths
the summer, and, by capturing and killing
these moths, it is possible to prevent the APP
pearance of the worms. Among the traps
which have been recommended is described
the folio wing:
"The most deadly trap consists of barrel
in which is foot of water, covered with film
of kerosene oil. A large stone is placed in the
barrel, with the top level with the surface of
the water; lantern, lighted, is placed on the
stone at night, and the light attracts the
moths, which fall into the water and are
killed. A trap of this kind has caught several
hundred moths and beetles in one night,all of
which would have produced thousands of cut
worms."
THE CURRANT WORM.
The currant-worm, nasty green crawler
which has destroyed most of the currant and
gooseberry bushes in the State, falls victim
only TO Manipulating and white hellebore;and
to the latter, only when the bushes are so
thoroughly busted with it that he cannot eat
them without swallowing it. Sometimes
large numbers of these worms may be shaken
from the bushes into pan held beneath them,
and then destroyed. If hellebore is relied on,
it must be renewed after every rain.
THE APPLE BoRER.
The apple-tree borer is hidden rascal,
which it takes close search to discover in sea-
son to prevent his doing much mischief.
The destruction of more apple-trees may fair
ly be charged to him than to all other enemies.
He is now at work, and close examination
will detect his hiding place by the bits of saw
dust which he has crowded through the small
hole by which he entered the tree. The only
way to get him is to dig him out or to punch
him to death with wire; and, no matter
how much cutting of thetree it takes to do
this, it should be done. Better half cut the
tree down than to leave three borers in it.
THE CANKER WORM
The canker-worm has been for years in a
few sections Of the State, the worst foe with
which apple-trees have had to contend. II is
most voracious william, and will strip an Or
chard OF its foliage in remarkably short time.
The eggs from which the canker-worms are
laid late in the fall or early in the spring, by
wingless female moth, which ascends the
trunk of the tree, and the only way to pre-.
vent their ravages is to prevent the ascent of
this moth. The eggs, if they have not already
been Matched by the heat of the past few days,
may now be found in clusters upon the ends.
OF forks, of small branches. They are short,
shaped like cylinder,and have dot in the
centre.
THE CATERPILLAR.
The caterpillar, or worm which comes from
the eggs, grows very rapidly, feeding upon the
young leaves, and, when it attains full size,
spins web by which it descends to the
ground, and burrows in the earth to be trans
formed INTO moth, which IN due time ap-
pears to climb the tree and reproduce it's hate.
ful species. The pest has, as we have said,
been confined to few localities, but last year
it appeared in small numbers in many new
places, and there is reason to fear that it will
this season do great damage. 1t prefers the
leaves of apple and em-trees, and, if left to
work its will upon them, will kill both in
short time.
Many devices to prevent the ascent of the
moth have been patented, but, as far as we
know, they are either too expensive or do not
work well, and there is probably no better
way than to wind the trunk of the tree with
strips OF coarse brown paper, smeared with
printers ink, over which the moth cannot
walk. A strip six inches wide held in its place
by couple OF tacks is enough The ink
needs 10 De renewed once in while. 1t is
now too late to meet this years crop of
worms in this way, but something may be &C
complished by destroying the eggs.
The common caterpillar Ia anO3bo, :,...~