The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1888-07-25
The Northern Army" and other
Plaques.

1t will truly be an affection if ca
lamity should befall the elm, as is threat
ened, according to what we read in the
agricultural journals. In some local
tiles already the trees have been seri-
ously injured, and this by an insect
something like the bug or beetle that
attacks potato-vines. 1t is said to be
imported, and, for some time after its
arrival, only fed and Toasted on the
foreign elm, but now is quite as de-
structive to the native species. From
our window we see twenty-five great
elm trees. To think of the devastation
and dreariness if these should fall be-
fore the ruthless destroyer 1t will be
impossible to reach with pail of Paris
green and the sprinkler the tree-tops
to which potato bug or his cousins can
easily climb if they are so evil-disposed.
So great a misfortune would break our
heart surely, and the hearts of how
many beside! We keep hoping some
genius will come to the rescue and find
something more destructive to beetle
bugs than they can possibly be to elms.
The impending danger recalls ca
lamity which befell portion of New
England in the olden time, ITO, as we
learn from the chronicles of that pc
Rod. An army of worms appeared in
the month of July and devoured all the
corn and wheat that stood in the way
of their march, continuing their depre-
dations until September. The people
called them the northern army"
and surely no army, northern or south
ern, did more harm. They appeared
first at Lancaster and Guildhall, in the
Connecticut Valley, and ravaged all the
towns as far south as Mortified in
Massachusetts, combining their ravages
to the lowlands, not crossing the noun
tains on either side. This was perhaps
because they sought only corn and
wheat, never molesting potatoes, pump
kins, peas or flax.
Only the certainty that our chronicler
is perfectly reliable would enable us to
believe the marvellous story he tells. The
worms in maturity were large as mans
finger, brown in color, with a black
stripe along the back, and a yellow stripe
along each side from tip of the nose to
the tail. The fields were so thickly
covered that one could not place the
thumb upon the ground without plac-
ing it upon worm. They entered
houses and, like the frogs of Egypt, en-
camped in the kneading-troughs would
scale walls in a solid phalanX and climb
over houses in columns so dense that
nothing of boards or shingles could be
seen.
In those days corn and wheat were
the staples in New England, and
lowered in such stately and stalwart
fashion as they do now in Iowa and
Illinois. The worms assembled the
wheat stalks, cut them Just below
the head and devoured the grain as
soon as it fell. In the cOrn-felds man
could not be seen a rod from the out
side row, and in ten days from the adj
vent of the northern army" nothing
remained of these fields of corn but
the stalks. They moved very quickly
from place to place and ate continu-
ously and voraciously. Sometimes peo-
pie dug trenches round the fields, think
ing the worms would not be able to
cross them, but they filled the ditch,
making a perfect bridge, so that the
millions which came behind crossed on
their backs and the devastation was in
no wise prevented.
Many eXpedients were resorted to,
and in some places enough grain for
seed the next year was saved, but no.
where enough for food. Had the worms
liked potatoes and pumpkins as well as
wheat and corn, there would have been
famine. People were tortured by
the fear, also, that the invasion would
be annual, as no one knew anything of
its origin or the nature of the strange
army. But to the surprise of every
body the creatures disappeared more
suddenly than they arrived All at
once they were gone, leaving no trace
behind-no signs that they had been.
What became of them nobody could
imagine. The next year not one made
its appearance, nor ever again till 1871,
when there were few, and not one has
been seen since.
Immediately on the departure of the
"army" happened something almost
as remarkable. Not the whole country
was desolated by the worms, but some
places. Millions of pigeons alighted
on the trees and filled the granaries.
One family caught in the space of ten
days more than four hundred dozen.
Quantities were dried and preserved
for winter, making excellent " roasts,"
enrolled " and " fric-a-zied, )" and their
feathers made excellent beds. The
cattle died very universally because
there was nothing on which to feed
them. There are always plenty of
pigeons about farms and villages
pretty creatures, that are welcome to
all they can eat for the pleasure they
give. In countries where provisions
scarcely furnish enough for human be-
ings, they might not be so welcome
In some climates we have seen worms
and snakes served as delicious dishes
upon the tables of the rich. When we
expressed establishment, the people
were more astonished that we should
find it anything strange. In the West
Indies large white worm is found