The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1884-02-09
FARM AND FIREsIDE
Cor. Prairie Faruaer.

Cor. Prairie Farmer. sas sBssse5Fr
There isa great reason for solieitude
regarding the corn crop in 1884.
There aretwo points upon which there
are grave reasons to be anxious. !
The USrn-root worm has been3 in
ereasing in numbers within the last
three years with astonishing rapidity,
andaunlessiits progress is checked, 10
will probably devastate the cornfelds
of Illinois next year TO snchan extent
as TO very materially diminish the
crop. Fortunately the life history of
this insect has been carefully studied
by our efficient State Entomologist,
Professor S. A. Forbes, and his as
sistants, and the means of preventing
its ravages have been pointed out. 1t
now becomes the duty of publishers of
papers everywhere within the terri
tory visited by this pest to give the
people all the information gained
by these pains.taking examinations
Farmers who did not carefully exam
inc the roots of their corn during the
past growing season can hardly be
aware of the extent Of the damage
which was done by this insect; yet
this was not 1.-THE of the destruction
which will, in all probability, be made
during next year unless the warnings
are widely published and generally
needed.
The larva of this insect is small
white worm, about as large as a me-
dium-sized knitting needle. 1t begins
its work whilesth corn isyoaBg--one
to two feet high--girdllng and eating
thezroots, and often later in the sea-
son entering the larger roots and Dor
ing along lengthwise, until the roots
are dead all roots attacked BY ,tbeu
are killed, and, Of course, The survival
of the plant depends upon the pro-
portion of roots destroyed and the
state of the weather during and sub
sequent to The time of their work. If
the weather is warm with frequent
showers, new roots form so rapidly
that the plants, though they may top
pie OYER, will generally survive and
produce seine grain, though Of course
the ears will be short and perhaps will
not mature well; but if drouth ensues,
the plant viii bestepPed in its growth,
turn yellow, and prove barren, even if
it survives at all. Indications Of the
presence of this worm are stunted
growth and premature Turning yellow
of the lower leaves.
The perfect insect is said to deposit
its eggsaat the roots Of lIe corn and
usually in the same field in which it
was developed, few, comparatively,
flying to distant or adiacent fields. Of
course the worms do not migrate,
hence, every intelligent reader will
readily sec the way to prevent it's
rayages. The first year a field as
planted, in. corn it will be entirely free
from depredations, but the few moths
which wander in from fields and de-
posit their eggs late in the season will
produce enough to furnish a large
supply of seed ~. during second au-
tumn, though usually net seriously
damaging the second crop; but the
third successive crop upon the same
field will be almost sure to be badly
damaged.
The preventive, therefore, is to
plant corn not more than two con-
secutiye years upon any field. Al
ternate for one year with oats or other
CROP and exemption to corn the fol
lowing year is secured-for this insect
feeds upon corn roots only and will
perish if none are within its reach.
The second reason for apprehension
is the condition of the present crop of
corn over nme-tenths, at least, of the
West. This condition has been com
mented upon seyeral. times in the Prai-
riefFsrR1er4 sand only needs repetition
here to urge its readers to use every
possible precaution in selecting or pro-
curing seed. 4 have made oeareful, az
aminations with a glass during the
last two weeks of very many cribs of
corn from which the owners thought
fbst7 the nranort;op of corn safe rfoy
seed ev.5n 4 tlots which Iaol, dry md
hr;ab{ i 'n,geb ,oss ethsn ,hss' hean
oapsrslIv s,snnosad
Vat tIsre are IacaI;,;as.- whaye AZ,
all il ~ar,n snJ ssndT sbsro H.
corn was psaRtsd- early land fully
fipenea' ano was ufy long peiore any
lros'. = tsys eAAi3 A lss seine eiips q
eofns RI Nts ~ oseE'A4i 1sasasI,as a1 Il
70 fgsoss|1 -soseu Gown slsou'o Oe-Pr0'
cured IRON sven locai nIlt Y .e, lnsnEe
an even slane 1'iof l9e4'o ,4Asfe = lt
probably enough gooo Seso "a I'm Sne
country 10. meet Rtae saeiaAala, SsiS'the