Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1882-06-29

ously called the tobacco worm" and
morn worm The moth from which
this worm originates is the we'll known
dusky-winged miller, known to en-
tomologists as the Sphinx q,,iaquie.
n,dc'tiafus, or five spotted SPHINX.
This moth Is of greyish color, having
hve orange coored spots on each side
of It's body, from which it takes its
name. 1t may be seen in the summer
twilight IN our gardens, fitting from
flower to flower, from which they ex-
tract the sweet juices by means oil a
remarkable, tongue, sometimes five or
six inches long. This tongue or pro-
boscis, when not in use, is cooled up
and stowes away between the two
feelers. The first OF this army of
moths come along in June, but not nu.
merously as a rule. 1t is the opinion
OF some that dry weather early in the
season is uniavorable to its production,
while an early wet season makes them
more plentiful. However this may be,
the hawk moth comes along in June,
and deposits its eggs on the under side
OF the leaves, when the plants are
about foot high. At first the eggs
are greenish in color, but gradually
grow yellowish or a cream color and
IN about twenty-four hours the hatch
Ing process is completed, when the
immature tobacco worm, hardly thick
er THAI hair, and only an eighth of
an inch long, issues forth on its mission
OF destruction. From the first its ap.
petite is most ravenous, although the
damage during the first four or five
days of its existence is small, because
of their diminutive size AT the end
of about five days it sheds its old skin
and makes its appearance In new
dress. This is n signal for a renewal of
its career of destruction.
If not arrested in its course it will
soon ruin The most promising crop. 1t
continues to grow for twenty-five or
thirty days, when, having obtained its
full size, 1t continues to gorge itself ON
the juice of the plant few days longer
after which it crawls to the ground and
enters it, where il remains in the pupa
state about twenty-five days, when it
once more Sends forth hawk moth to
repeat the work of destruction.
As each moth lays about two hun
dred eggs, it at once becomes apparent
that the second crop of tobacco worms,
which come along in August, is much
more numerous than the first one.
Every moth killed before il lays its nu-
merous brood of eggs is so much to-
wards killing off the hosts that come
later on in the season.
Numerous methods have been sug-
gested and are employed to destroy
this moth. 1t seems to have strong
inclination for the sweet juices found
IN the "Jimson," or Jamestown weed
(Strdmonium). An ounce of cobalt
dissolved IN pint of water is mixed
with molasses and n drop or Two PIT
into every flower will do the work es-
fectually. Shutdown is the best time to
do this, and the flowers so treated
should be pulled off on the following
day, or the entire plants may be de-
stroyed. If left, bees will also find the
poison, and if not killed themselves
will most surely present their owners
with poisoned honey.
In the use of the above rem edies OF
representatives. there should be co-opera
ton among the tobacco growers of a
| district. From the hour the hawk
moth lays her eggs until the crop is
cut down, the duty of hunting and re-
moving the worms must be regular
and unremitting. Every three days is
not too often to go over the field, and
three times week would be better
still. Especially is this the case with
the grower of seed leaf tobacco. The
value of his product depends almost
exclusively upon its fitness for cigar
wrappers. When full of holes j. is
useless for this purpose The freer OF
holes his crop is the higher the price
it will command, 1t is doubly import
ant for him, therefore, to get it to mar
ket in the best possible condition.
When hunted for at short intervals the
worms are more easily found, as they
do not leave the place wher, they be-
gin operation for several days, and
may therefore be looked for where
they have first eaten hole through
the leaf. Later they change their po-
sition frequently, and must be search
ed for over the plant. Its habits are
also Of importance. In hot weather it
feeds chiefly in the morning, while it is
cool, whereas in cool or cloudy weather
it feeds during the warmest part of the
day, and is therefore more readily
discovered in the afternoon Bulletin.
HOW MANY PLANTS TO HE ACRE.
"How many plants would you set
on an acre of the Domestic Havana
Variety" is question frequently ask
ed You can set out more plants Of
this variety than of the seed LEAF
growths. We think about six thousand
five hundred can be planted on an acre
of the seed leaf species; but We must
take different view Of the Domestic
Havana plants. They are set out near
er together; they grow more erect
straight up, without looping down.
than the old fashioned Connecticut
seed leaf and the other broad leaf va
rieties. The Havana plants should be
act, cay Is to 20 inches apart in the
rows, 8 feet 2 inches to 3 feet inches
apar, between the rows. Set out in
this manner, from eight to nime thou
sand plants can be set comfortably on