Connecticut western news., 1880-06-09
gaS THE ARMY WORM.
Appearance of the Destructive Pest on
 Long Island-Acres of Rye 2fs $ssaa Destroyed. t Ea

The army worm has made its appear afce on the south side of Long Island to the great loss of some and the con- sternation of all of the farmers in that section.a Already it's ravages have been very severe, and unless it's progress can be stayed it will leave @ track of desola- tion clear across the island. Where the pest came from is 8 mystery which mo- body who has so far investigated the subject is prepared to.solve. It was ob- served some time ago, however, that pe- culiar flies, remarkable for their. num- Der, had put in an appearance on the up- lands near the coast, and it is thought by the farmers that the army now on the march is the product of this swarm As this is the first time the army worm has appeared in this section, great interest Is naturally felt in its ravages, and it is necessary that prompt measures looking to it's extirpation should be adopted inn mediately. In view of all this reporter lately visited the scene of destruction on Long Island, and gathered all the in- | forma6o ion it was possible to obtain in re- gard to the habits of the worm and the remedies to be employed in dealing with 1t. In conversation with reporter a farmer said the discovery was purely ac- cidental. Preparations had been made for raid on the potato bugs, but these were invisible, and in their stead was the army worm. The worms were found to be in great numbers, and seemed to be moving in solid phalanx. This is their peculiarity, and it is to this fact that they owe their name. At the time of discovery the march had only begun l The column began its march at the 1 upland and then continued working along the grass into the grain fields The line of march was through the cen Ire of the farm, in strip about thirty acres in width. There was no struggling and nothing edible was left unconsumed Fire and sword and the tread of a victori ous army could not have proved so de structive. Sheridan in the Valley o T Virginia scarcely left greater desolatiol behind him. The worms first struck forty acre field of rye, worth $1, ,OOO, ant 1 cleaned 1t out in sixty hours. The head of the cereal had begun to fill with grain and these were sucked entirely dry. 4 threshing machine could not have nor thoroughly stripped the ripe stalk of it 4 succulent iuicest han did this worm an, what was even m ore remarkable was tha each worm was allotted to its own partic ular stalk. So complete was the disciplin that no one worm attempted to interfer with the vested rights of another; bu while this was the case not blade wa left untouched One farmer, MT. Plumb estimates the damage to his farm within the week at not less than $2,0OO.
 The army worm, when fully grown measures from one and a quarter to tw, inches in length. As feeding is appar ently the sole purpose of their gran, march, those which are the best fed be come of the largest size. In thicknes they are of the diameter and rotund1t, of a full grown goose quill. Their colo is a light or dark gray, with two latera stripes, the upper with a yellowish cen tral line, the lower with a reddish one The worm is supplied with sixteen legs six of which are pectoral, eight abdomi nal and two anal, at the extremity o the body. The head is of polishe, honey color, on the front of which is tn letter "V" reversed Although supplie, with such complete outfit of pedal ac coutrements, they march with great de liberation, and at the slightest touch the, roll over on their sides and form them selves into wheel. In conversation wit a reporter, yesterday, MT. Plumb sai that although the potato bugs disappea before them, the army worm is not so de structive of potatoes as of corn an' grass.
 The plan for fighting the worms is t plow deep furrow across the fields, t. I be protected on the part of the fiel' toward which the worms are marching The steep side of the furrow is mad next to the crop to be protected, as il attempting to climb it the worms fal back into the furrow. Their persistence however, is something marvellous. Thei faces are set towards the north, an, towards the north they persist in goinI in spite of every obstacle. Those wh have observed them say that when every thing else fails they make @ bridge c their multitude, and filling up the furroV with their bodies continue their destruc tive march. In consequence of this pel sistence when they reach the furrow the 4 are destroyed by fire. On meado1 lands it is said a heavy iron roller can b 1 used to crush them.