The Weekly Kansas chief. [volume] (Troy, Kan.) 1872-1918, 1881-08-11

Now that this irightful pest is attracting gen
oral attention by its ravages in this and adJoin-
inr counties the time is favorable To reche lhe
issdiny facts in its natural history, aud TO re
call the best methods of preventing Us h" ~
plication and opposing its progress ine N
kistory of this insect is now well known, tnanhs
10 the studies and experiments OF Riley, WASH
Fi,cb Thomas and many other entonologls's'
:, hose observations have extended through many
years. and have covered our whole territory
NATURAL HISTORY.
Tho insect now attacking the oat fields in this
region is the genuine army worm known 10 Sc
ence as the larya of LeHodTiG RRipHhcfG), ana Is
not a cut-worn, as many suppose, nor Is II the
same worm as that which burrows IN the UPS VI
the ears of growing corn. The larger WoIhns,
which are said by some correspondents 10 oecu
with the army worm, are doubtless W.
individuals. 1t is 50 variable IN color that oiii.
a long and familiar acquaintance with IL, OF q
good scientific description, VIII enable one ~
WAYS TO recognize il. Like all caterpiiars' "a
matches from an egg, and this egg is iaid III hlsa
dows aud pastures usually where tno .h
matted and tangled commonly secreted by the
moth between the grass stalk and the base OF me
leaf The last batch Of eggs laid each year e1in-
monty matches in the fall, the young worms nv
ing over winter under grass and rnbbish IN Inea-
dows In the spring these eaterpIllers coinpleH
fbeir growth. 20 into the ground, and change
there into brown, leathery PupH or ehry saI'as,
from which. n little later, new generation oil
moths escapes TO lay fresh supply OF eess.
This circle of development is Travelled NaIIa ~,
itude and the seasOn In this part OF ILLINOIS the
nsual number is probably three broods year
Sometimes the fall brood Of caterpillars, or a
mart of it, will transform before cold weather,
going into the ground and alternating IN th Ts
cbrvsiIis state and sometimes the moth itself
lives over the winter laying her eggs IN the
spring: but it is now thepreyalent opinion OF the
best authorities that larval Information Is the
general rule,
army worm occurs throughout the country every
wear. and may always be found at the roots OF
meadow grass. We take scores OF the moth AT
the laboratory every summer, and lind the Larvae
in the stomachs of birds year after year. Lake
most of our especially destructive insects, II Is
an osciIlating species, occurring in innumerable
hosts one year, and falling off the next season To
a number 50 insignificant as To escape general
notice The causes of this oscillation are not yet
well understood; but from the fact that an ar
my-worm wear" in any locality, has always been
preceded by dry season the year before, there Is
some reason to believe that the weather has
much to do with its excessive multiplication.
Commonly il does not travel from ITS hatchlug
place, and is noticed only by birds and entomol-
ogists When its number increases to snch an
extent that starvation ensues, the worm migrates
TO fresh feeding grounds in astonishing hOrdes,
and then, to sn ordinary observer, it seems TO
spring from the ground like the armies Of Cad
mus.
INJURIES,
The favorte food plants of the army worm are
grass, the small grains and corn. Timothy, blue
grass and winter wheat are more generally injur-
ed than any other crop The worms rarely touch
clover and are not fond Of rye; hut when hard
pushed will eat yarions vegetables, the leaves OF
fruit trees, and even each other. When at their
worst they clear the ground they traverse Ofeyery
green thing pOllate the water Of wells, cover
and invade houses, stop railroad trains and con-
vert the face of nature into scene Of offensive
desolatOn.
REMEDIES,
The fact that two bad army-worm years have
never been known to follow each other makes it
difficult 10 apply any preventive measure, ex-
cent such rs may lie kept up year after year.
Doubtless the burning of meadows and pastures
late in the fall early in the spring will do
much to keep down the worms, partly by de-
priying the moth of suitable place If deposit
for her eggs and partly by destroying the hiber-
mating larva and the value of this remedy has
been proven by trial. again and again. If it
were made a general rule to burn grass lands and
siubbic after dry summer, probably the army
worm would never appear in formidable NUM-
hers.
1t has also been repeatedly proven that the
prorreSs of a horde of these eaterpillaFs can be
stopped by ditching; field may be protected by
blowing deep furrOw around il, and smashing
the worms as the furrow fills up, by dragging
log through it, The vertical side of the furTOw
should of course he toward the field endangered.
Perhaps better plan is 10 give this side Of the
furrow a backward slope with spade or hoe,
digging holes at intervals in the bottom Of the
ditch. The worms will gather in these holes,
where they may he crushed by the gallon
Bloomington FdRtdgrdph.