Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1880-06-25

One notable feature Of the present invasion
Of the army worm is tue origin Of the swarms
along the shores Of the Sound and the ocean.
For seven or eight years they have prevailed
sparingly on the southeastern side Of Long
Island and probably elsewhere. For some
favorable cause they have multiplied amaz-
ingly during the recent dry weather, and now
they threaten to overruu not only all of Lorg
Island but also the shore counties OF New
Jersey and Connecticut. The invasion began
about the first Of June ON the farm Of j. n.
Plumb, near Islip, L. I. where a large area
of young corn, rye and wheat was soon de
stroyed The corn was eaten of close to the
ground. In the grain fields the worms crawl
ed up the stalks aud ate oil the green leaves
one by one, beginning at the outer end Of the
leaf on the under side and eating back to the
stalk. Then the head was attacked, the
worm nipping of the tip of each kernel and
sucking out the juice. Grass, oats, clover,
garden crops, and all succulent vegetation
being left brown and bare. A reporter on
Long Island says What was fresh green
grass a week ago seems TO have been burned
by a drought. The ground is as brown as
burnt sienna. The pedestrian walks on the
roadside and feels the insects crush under his
boots. When the suns rays strike the worms
they are, as If at a signal, at once on foot in
brown masses that cover the ground. They
cross the whitish road, and its dust is hidden.
A carriage passes, and the wheels become as
thickly incrusted with the slaughtered insects
as they are with mud after a soaking rain has
softened the roads. The worms crawl upon
the fences and pass on exploring expeditions.
The movement of the worms in one corner
of Mr.. Johnson's field could distinctly be
heard by leaning on the fence near by. The
worms were in some rank blue grass The
column began at the fence, and almost in a
straight line stretched out into the field. The
march was rapid, and the grass was cut to
the ground, which was covered already with
multitudes pressing on behind. The sound
was like the rustling Of grass in u wind, only
it was more continuous.
Many devices have been tried to stop the
march of the pests Some small grain fields
have been in a measure protected by drawing
back and forth across the grain long ropes to
brush or jar the worms from the leaves and
heads. Fire and boiling water have been re-
sorted to with slight success. bitches have
been dug or plowed around threatened fields,
but unless they are very deep, or the worms
are constantly rakcd cut or burned out with
fire, they are soon filed up with worms, and
the rest of the army goes on to complete the
work Of destruction.
Thus far on Long Island, the worms have
ravaged a belt about two miles wide all along
both shores, and are rapidly marching inland.
They have just begun their march IN Connec-
ticut, while in New Jersey the coast line is
suffering as severely rs the Long Island
shores.
Eutomologist J. IL. Comstock of the de-
partment of agriculture has been looking into
the ravages of the pest in Delaware, and says
in every case they first appeared in wheat
but the greatest injury Was done to the ten
dor rbigl, tl,N fai Ca, cut 10 10
ground. The history Of the worm is not even
yet fully known, though tue rayages of past
years have made it an object of close study
The eggs are laid in tn folds of the leaves of
grass or grain. and are Matched in from to
| 10 days; the larya or worm proper lasts from
| IL to 80 days, when it burrows an inch or
more into the ground, and is changed into
| the pupa. The number Of generations in a
| season varies with the climate. In the north
ern states it has always been thought to have
| but one, but in northern Illinois there are
normally two broods, in the latitude of st.
Louis three, and further South in very mild
| winters it breeds the year round The moth
| is nght-hyer Of dull brown color with a
| distinct white spot i'll the center Of each fore
| wing, and having an expanse of wing of a
| little over an inch and three-quarters. 1t
passes the winter in both the moth and chrys-
ais state, the latter being more common in
the North, and possibly the full grown worm
| also hibernates sometimes. The generally
accepted theory has been that the worms nat
urally inhabit the grass of wet spots and
the borders of marshes, and that their sudden
and extensive visits to cultivated crops are
due to the fact that in dry seasons they have
unlimited feeding range and are greatly null
tiplied, and a succeeding wet season and
overfowed swamps drives them from their
haunts to the drier farming lands but on
| getting their wings they fly back to the
| been the conditions of their appearance in
1861, 1869 and 1915; but the theory proves
at fault now as this year has not been a wet
one where the worms have appeared still in
most instances they have been thickcst in the
vicinity Of low-lands and the department is
collecting further evidence on this point