Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1880-07-22
AGRICULTURAL.
The Army Worm.

vent curing Cud Pao1 no"'u ''A ~
and adjacent States; and although its
ravagss were not general, YET in many
localities they have been very de.
structive to the crop of farmers with
in ther range of travel. June, it ap-
pears, is the period for their natural
appearance, and consequently all
danger may, for this year, be over.
But we must not omit to be on the
alert for their temperance hereafter
as there is no telling where they may
he found marching on in their over.
whelming course when they again
make their advent. A ccmmunica.
ton to tho Lancaster (Pa.) Farmer
alludes to their appearance in that
vicinity, and calls on the editor, Mr..
Rathvon, who is an entomologlst OF
much distinction, for information on
the subject of its habits, history, &c.
Mr.. R. says he has known Of its ex'
istence in this county for years on a
very limited scale, and that lit will
continue to exist so long as wheat, rye
barley, oats and grasses are grown.
They have no special rartiality for
clover, (although they will eat it when
they can get nothing better,) but the
bladed cereals they are particularly
fond of, and when they consume one
field and have not finished their larval
development, they will emigrate, like
moving army, to another field, and
from this habit is derived the name OF
army worm"
How TO STAY AND DESTROY THEM.
When a field becomes destructive
ly infested-alt although there are appll-
cations that would kill them-it per
haps would cost as much to exterml-
nate them as an average wheat crop
would be worth, and might also in.
volve the entile destruction Of
the crop. But they can be prevent
ed from passing from one field to an,
other by running deep furrow
around the field, with its perpendicu
lar side next to the field intended to
be saved, up which perpendicular side
they cannot we'll climb, for losing
their hold they will fall back again tc
the bottom. Here they can be cap
tured and destroyed. /. has been rec.
commended to scatter dry straw over
them in this trench and then set it on
fire and thus destroy them. Perhaps
any other combustible material " ould
answer AS we'll as straw-ior instance
coarse sawdust saturated with coal
oil or gas tar.
THEIR DEVELOPMENT.
Fortunately, if the season is favor.
able and the grain ripsns rapldly
their damage 10 it will thereby be
limited; but more fortunately still
they usually complete their larval de.
velopment within the month Of June
and then 60 into the ground to pu
pate, and issue forth a moth about
the middle Of July. The sexes Their
pair, and the females deposit their
eggs on the stubbls Of grass or grain
and those eggs remain there until the
following season. for there is but one
brood during the year. The young
are 10 small when they first issue
from the eggs that their presence il
not observed, and therefore it is only
when they become about half grown
and their voracity has greatly in
creased that their presence becomes
conspicuously manifest, and then leo
ple become astonished at their sudden
appearance.
PROBATION TO BE ADOPTED
Now, when a grain or grass feld
has been badly infested by the army
worm, is everything is favorable te
their development during the inter
vening season, it seems evidest thai
their numbers may greatly increase il
the following year. Therefore it il
recommended to burn off the stubble
in the fall, or turn it deeply dowr
with the pillow.
HABITS OF THE ARMY WoEM
These army worms belong to thu
great family Of "cut worms" and like
all Of that tribe, if you touch them OIL
attempt to capture them they vii
Immediately fall to the ground and
curl themselves into compact circle
and remain in that condition for some
time, and any attempt to straishter
them out will be firmly resisted, ever
to the rupture Of their bodies. Tit
moths are generally called "owlet
MOTHS" and belong to the family Noe
tuide, or "Night-flisrs," because they
usually remain quiet or secreted dur
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