New-York tribune., 1880-06-12
PESTS or THE FARMERS.
THE ARMY WORM ON LONG ISLAND.


IMMENSE DESTRUCTION or CORN, WHEAT AND
OTHER CROPs-HoW THE WORM DOES ITS WORK
The invasion of Long Island by the army worm IS
exciting serious apprehcnsiOns among farmers Inc
worms have surrounded largo portion OF the
island and are marching simultaneously from the
eastern end the Sound and tho sea, toward a com
mon centre The advance guards are already wen
into the interior. and there are few places "hcro
thcv have not appcarcd. The pest appears to he
in the greatest numbers on the south SIDE ot INC
island in the vicinity of Isp Amityyilc, and Free
port At the two former places many farmers have
lost hundreds and some thousands OF dollars
worth of crops The worms attack % corniicld, ana
ruin it III Il single night crawling to the END OF the
leaves. they dcvOur them, Tctreating backward
thus making the work of destruction complete. III
the wheat fields they climb to the top OF the stalk
eat the husk and boards, and then cut the head
of. leaving the bare straw to attest the thorough
ness of their work.
On the farm of Bradish johnson, at Bayshorc
over twenty acres of wheat and oats have beeh
deyourcd He estimates his loss ut So 900. Cab
bages and fodder corn are also selected Dy llI9
army of eaters Many of the farmers have begun
cutting their grass and grain,1 although they are
not sufficiently maturcd in order to save them from
destruction At Babylon, tho roads are black
with worms and the sound Of their advance
throurh the grass can be heard plainly. At West
hampton and Mattitucl the worms are likened to
the sands of the scashOrc and wheat rye corn ana
grass fall before them. At Northport, on inc
Sound the worms have appeared In large hrmherS
and farmers are at their wits end TO know how 10
meet thcm At Whitcst0nc, MincOla and RoSyn
the insect army has appeared, and only two miles
south of Jamaica fine piece of wheat owned by
Mr. Allen il covered with them. Stephen Verify =
rye fields at Scaford destroyed, and his neigh
a. Il, 4. ,a11, fftrFt NlsIftrr M
for the destructive worms. In Hampstead, the in
scots have attacked the wheat field Of Coles Car
man. and are at work on tho farms OF haliGA W.
milford Ebcnezer Killcu and others. East w ms;
ton reports the scOurge present III mNIlaus', ana
sweeping everything before them except the clover
frldS.S The pest is also in Ncwtown.
At Baskerville. Winfield and Whitepot the
tackled an cightccn-acro wheat field last Sunday
morning and ON Tuesday not a leaf or hlaic could
he found in the field. Timothy hcldS shared tie
same fate The army worm in this vicinity ~
marching nOrthwaTd. Tho rye fields OF W illah T.
Hon and Henry q. Victor are oyclrun with them
At Glen Cove, corn and wheat Il Ids aro reported
| TO have been destroyed. At Flushing, a field OF
fnudcr corn was destroyed III Il lew DAYS ana thc
farms of Frcdcrlck Il. Smart John IyIrr kobrrt
| Willctts and many others have suffered nom tIe
| scOurge At Farmiugialo and KlVcrhcad the
worms are doing immense damage to wheat and
| prlss 4 BrdgchamptOn farmer saws there ARE
| millions of worms IN that vicinity. lhe inilhrrs
! are trying to save their wheat rye and harley by
| digging dtchcs and burning straw IN thrm' but
/ they are over Ol' DN NlI'l lpl'' VI H''l''
Among the modes of lighting ia" worm the most
effective srrInS To be to dig trench with steep or
| ovcrhangug sides. out of which the worms cannot
escape. Here they are crushed or burned ~ means
of straw or Kerosene. Their dcprcdatiuns in grain
| fields have been partially stopped 10y drawing =
rope broadsiGC across tho iirl /. this striking tho
! heads OF the grain and Knocking the worms OF.
one good quality of the army worm is that a. lur-
nshcs palatahlr food for nearly all thr icathrrcd
| tribe. Hens, ducks crows. robins. AMI other l0ws
| and birds dcvOur the worms "lth ayIdtty.
! The army worm is making sad havoc nj New
| Rochelle and along the roads leading toward " Into
Plains. Many farmers are cut tipH ilcir croVS ot
unriuc grain with the intention ~ using fie straw
| for fodder. the only way of savips th" gram
| from complete destruction. PotatO-buRs currant-
bugs and rOse-bugs are also proving very dehtIlc-
! two Partners have been trying almost every
remedy suggested without any satisfactory result.