New-York tribune., 1880-06-15
PROFESSOR COMSTOCWs REPORT.
THE RAVAGEs OF THE WORM IN DELAwARE-1Ts
HISTORY AND HABITs-CACsES. or ITS SPREAD
PROPOSED REMEDlRS.


HISTORY AND mABIrs-cAUsEs. or ITS SPREAD
PROPOSED REMEDIES
lBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRmUNEl
WASHTNGTON, June 14.-Profcssor Comstock, the
entOmOloglst of the Agricultural Department, has
been visiting the section of Kent County, Della
ware, infested with army worms and has made
report to the Commissioner.
In view OF tho fact that the pest is now spread
ing northward, and is likely to attack cultivated
fields in New-York and New England within tho
next week or two, Professor Comstock's Obscrva-
tOns become Of especial Importance. Of the army
worms in Delaware he says:
found tnat this insect had committed great rayagcs,
especially in fields OF wheat and corn In every instance
osrrycd ihcy first appeared in wheat. After destroy
lnv tie leaves aud b. ird II the wheat and In in
eating into the upper end of the kernels. they
marched, or attempted 10 march, Into the ncghborng
fields. The greatest injury done was to corn, VIII
being tender was eaten to the ground when yer 1t was
encountered by the worms In their march
The farmers of Kent County have been vigorous in
thcr efforts to prOtcc themselves from the spreading
and pits have succeeded saving large fields Of corn.
and the samo time trapping aud DESTROYING millions
of worms The danger IN tnat srcon FOR TINS season Is
nearly past bnt In localities further uOrtn, where the
pest !, later ~ appearing much remains to be- done.
Professor CunISt0ckS q account oi the army worm,
condensed from paper on the subject prepared for
the next annual report of the Agricultural Depart
mcnt, Is as follows:
The adult insect il night flying moth Of n dull brown
c0lor ark" In thr rcntr Of each ore wing VIII dig
% @ az, az ~ t t, ls of y ~ ras1 or rn hrariy
nwul p conccang them from sight by pushing them
~ the rufdr portion Of the leaf, or ny cement
~ tur rrr. of me leaf together over them The eggs
may he ld sn@ly or In rows, which SOM times contain
~ t'rn or twenty. The number OF generations
IN sri,un varies greatly with the climate.
Durng Winters Of unusual mldness u success
lion ~ rood~ Kept M through the entire ycIr Dur
u the present WInrr f70'sO) received full
grown Wom> wlth accounts oi damage to Winter grain
~ The months II ID tcmbrr, January and February
from local Hes IA far norh hs Union C0hhiy y e. ana
Maroon County. Tenn. Ordinarily, however, III these
~ptrs urthrr North, the insect lies dormant
throuLh the Winter months.
Conc. .rnu. ihc hhruli" of the army worm, writers
have luug din .cd We now safely state that 1t
I-c- r Winter bnih In the moth ani ehryNaliS states
IL c.r, soon ~ tnr wra her hcc0Hra warm, III
H. ,fi,s an ir;,rs And ay ir g4 ~ before
dr~,rir,. me duraton O the rBc state Is r' M eight
r natural habitat II the army worm was stated by
Dr Ftrht"br IN thr wd gras' "f wet .os in swami
uiI on thc hd - uursll,- and TINS statement hO
ha, b,u fohpwrd by nearly all sccr ding writer's The
q on then naturally alIsr. hat - thr cans" of these
@ LII WI, Yer, wet TllIr that OF 1suO II d been
xirrIur.y dry. ON examining the records be found
wornis appeared was wet whilctnc preceding year
dry liz therefor" proposed the theory that in
a dry sct,"n td' insect having an mn. IA,
multiplied, nhd WHEN B. Il thus multiplied. writ
,rl,,l aud o,c:f'wc swlmpS drive 1t out from ltS
mtHus place 10 h'chs' alshthg hrrc ana thetG over
the comry. lut hring thus ru,tcatrd. II finds our
arabic Lands ton foru and mnrdiotcy on inanr-
uIg aud getting ltS wings again. II ms O'ch 10 III,
swamp, VIII hy IT. h pens thAt We see no more 0I w.
Prof. ~-nr ilty a'ItCl thi- theory, AMI showed mat
the cuudi.Ir IN 1859 nud 1873 UwO married army
worm ycu-I cuucldrd VIVA tho," mentioned hy Ftch.
Professor Com9torN, writing Ut the rrlnrdrs To be-
u,cd to kill the worm or to limit its rayag's says
II tuc theory Just quoted truc tho best means Of
pt, f,iug ia. Of thls pest IN cultivated
fis VIII be To- keep watch Of any exclusive tracts Of
l,wlaud which may bo In the nrghb0IhO0d,
ami army worms are discovered de-
-uuy them, either by burning over tho
IauI n p,.-.h', by potsonug win ar~cHic Paris
glt, n or Luudon purple. or Oy any other means Of
which lur.t conditions VIII admit. In fact, II would
br well 10 burn all tho low lands la the yclnty
clr Winter thu. destroying the hlbrruatlng Insects.
In the worms do appear lh cultivated
lands The best plan Of action TO follow
Il 10 pr,yrut the rprcnins Of the insect
his may by destroying them, or bY coDlnins
teen to the lr,ds ~ whrh they appear. The best
method uf r-trbyinr thrm i by crushing win rollers
or by Iui-uung with disrutr, Pars green or lDuGon
Vuip Iahrr 0i jhr~r Substances can brapIed rap
ily hy mixns with WI' an Lslus fOunt ln pump or
s,.r, II -yrIuS'. In many Instances however, These
| rCm'llr- ar lmprdrtlt able.
rrd out The r"sult viii not merely he the rOnfnhg OF
the 10 the fields In which they appear, Out the
OF them also when hcy attempt to migrate
% fields This ~ done hY the means ul dtCltS auu
pIis aug around infested r. HAT 10 BE- protected
ihr Giirlr- made quite rapl ly first, plough
i'riW with the and sic next 10 The t'!h 10 bc pro-
ed Hul inrn win spade make ms hide o tho iur
row Yrlchl II the Rnll he compact enough To admit
of II. oYcrlunrn, When the dltch ~ clmp!trh holes
b. dug from foot to eighteen inches deep
aud 30 feet apart. The SIDES ~ these holes
The wois, unlbr to clmb up tho vertical sides OF tho
ditch VIII crawl along the bottom vi II ana Ial into the
hul"s, where they y i'll soon perish.
Where the 70 IL sandy, "a that the ditch cannot he
made " IN vertical ,lGr II suud bc dug deeper than
m other ca n's and the side made nearly pcrpcndcu
lar as uo,-Ibr; that when the worms attempt to
crawl up the slnd VIII Crumble beneath them ana Cause
them to lall back again.