The comet. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1877-1882, 1880-07-03
The Army Worm.

army worm is devastating many OF lAt
wheat and grass fields Of that section
although different from what we
call the cotton worm, it is the same
as our grass worm of the South.
In all probability the army worm
will make its appearance, owing to the
mildness of last winter, and the same
causes which are developing the army
at the North, at this time, will develop
them here.
The worm which is now so prevalent
at the North, and very similar in its
habits and hardly to be distinguished
from the cotton worm, has been
known in the country since l743.
They belong to the family of the
night flying moths ScHcd51i0 t"'i-
Duqcta " are of misty grayish color,
and have IL white dot near the middle
of the front wing. They are called
army worms from the military pre-
ctsion they practice.
The eggs are generally deposited in
the folds of the leaves and grass, and
each moth lays from fifteen to twenty
eggs.
Professor Riley says there is only
one generation every year, and they
pass the winter both in the moth and
chrysalis state.
The following from the New York
Times is very interesting on the habits
of the army worms:
The army worm. now devastating parts
of Long Island and New Jersey, is SO called
because it appears in such large numbers,
and because, like others of its species, II
moves in columns and follows Il leader. 1t
isa catcrpilar, the larva of Il moth, and
noted for its YOraclty, as 1t well may ne,
since it can eat, it is said, more than double
its own weight in "A hours. Although less
gluttonous as a rule, 1t Is more destructive
than the locust, from its greater ieclndlty
and wider distribution over the vegetable
world 1t feeds on leaves, flowers, roots,
buds, seeds, even the wood of plants IN
deed it is almost omniNerOuS. The worm
is asserted to march in regular and exact
order: it lives in society, and moves In
procession either III single NE, OF l"p
three ana Tour abreast tnc une p''lI 50
perfect IN the columns llai llt hCau VI
one is never beyond the head of another in
the row. 1t follows the leader, stopping
when the leader stops, making journeys
from plant to plant or from tree to tree IN
quest OF 1oou' ana returning 10 us Hest Ill
in the same order.
The worms form ranks. march and halt
with the precision OIL soldiers. L hGn soG-
the roing forth and coming back of the
creeping battalions at the same hour, com
and nV'i intcre,tinr. 1aterpilIars include more
than 1000 varieties there being, 700 in in
New Ln!i" th t 4rone az" Of law and
mouth: the second, third and fourth of the
thoraX OF me iutufe insect am .ir ~ ramid
growth and extraordinary consumption
are shown by the common SIik >,IC5n!
treatise on silk, increases, duriug the 80
o !n". IN e3o IL md I from 100 70 about
% grains in weight In that time, there
lore II increases us WeIgmt g3 s tIeH 4 tn
Northern states there are about 900 kinds
OF butter-tlies ana moths A. t eacn itlllHs
w6Ild produce, on an average. from each
single female 300, 900 caterpiiIarS III Il year;
gen Uro wouIJ he a 600 900 and third
$780, 100000; With such fertility, it is easy
n nj IGr ' nor .c of the army worm
must be prodigious.
Thousands of dollars have been
spent in endeavoring to find Il remedy
which will destroy the pest, but still
their destructiveness has not been
stopped.
Birds will destroy them cheaper and
peI'er Uhah All IHe Ieliieu'eS which
have been devised. Although 1t IS
s,id +b,+ thoro oro civ ichnaun,on
9"i' '.i"o 'iAei1 ''i0 0'> 'Ii'''o' '''i"i'
flies which prey upon ana deVOur the
army warm in LARGE uunlhers
The LEGISLATORS should pass Il law
forl,iIdi,,,, +I,o Joetruo+i,,, Of ca n,onv
lol pl''u'iiS 'ne "es'l uC'lOl VI ~ many
birds, who accomplish a thousand F..
fold r,oro c,ood tbon ham, Ducla
'' ''" e 'ii''''
ana chickens destroy thousands OF
insects which nrev mon the gardens. |
",
we hOuced ulls particularly WIN
small number of Pekin ducks this sea- |
:. A..
SOL, WHICH were allo"eu 10 run Ill Iile
garden, 1t was thought that thew !
L.. :. ,.,,u
"oulu ueSIIoS Cle c"opaSe' puU IL was
soon found out they did more good /
=, I,.,t,,,.t,,,, ,,.,,r,,,s, and ;rsoot. tI,o,,
III ue9li'S ipS "Oliii' anu 'i9e''' 'ii"h
they did harm, and were allowed to |
remain.
Professor CornstaIk i'm a recent |
a.. r,.....,,. |
report 10 IIle Agricultural department.
saws about the army worm:
The best means of preventing the occur
renee OF this pest i'll cultivated fields will
be to keep watch of any extensive tracts Of
low land which may be in the neigOrbood |
and if army worms are discovered, destroy
them either by burning over the land. if
possible, or by poisoning with arsenic,
Paris green, or London purple. or by any
other means of which the local condition
will admit. 1t would be well to burn over
all the low lands in the ycinitveach winter,
thus destroyiugthe ALTERNATING insects. In
case the worms do appaer in cultivated