The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1890-06-10
THE NoxIoUS INSECTS OF
NORTH CAROLINA.
Tobacco-eating Insects--The Black
Spider--Flea Beetle--Bud
Worm 49, H orn
Caterpillar.
THIRD PAPER.

81 GEeALD MCCARTHY, B. Sc, N. c. EXPERIMENT
STATION.
THIRD PAPER
The . Indian weed " tobacco is loved
by insects as much or more than by
men. Scarcely has the seed sprouted
and the ~plantlet shown It's tiny tip
above ground when it is attacked by
the black spider" The s. .entifc
name of this pest is SneymthurWs, and
the are several species. These insects
are natives and are believed to pass
the winter in the dormant pupa state
in the ground where tobacco beds
were the proceeding year. Burning
over the ground is therefore b~enehclal
since 1t destroys large NUMBERS OF
these pests as well as weed SEEDS
Where burning is not prac;iced or
even where it is, it will be pref able to
give the tobacco beds a good soaking
with boiling hot water a day before
the seeds are sown. The water will
kill such pupae as are near the surface
and that will very likely be nearly all
in the bed.
Much more mischievous than the
black spider is the flea beetle, HGHaca
StrlOLata and other species, popularity
called "the fly" This is the same in
sect that damages turnips, cabbages
and other garden vegetables in the
seed leaf. 1t also attacks potato and
tomato vines. Many remedies for
this pest have been tried with more
or less success. Among the best are
sprinkling the young seedlings and
the ground beneath them with pow.
dered lime wet with spirits ~turpentine,
or the dilute kerosene emulsion al
ready described. SCOT, wood. ashes
or road dust may be used instead of
lime and a little flour may % added
to make it stick to the leaves. The
most satisfactory remedy is, however,
covering the seed beds with the cloth
made especially for this p .rpose. The
cloth is tackled to light frames which
any one a make, and is placed over
the beds in the same way glazed sash
IS used for hot beds or cold frames.
The cloth covers protect also from
sudden freezes, and enable the tobacco
planter to start his beds early and
thus escape the danger of fall frosts.
The cloth costs at retail five cents a
yard, but if bought by Alliances and
clubs ear no doubt be had cheaper.
Peter Henderson & Co., of New York,
and most Northern seed firms sell
this cloth.
When transplanted to the field,
tobacco plants are often attacked
oy worms which cut them off Just be-
low Dr. at the surface Of the ground.
These cut worms are the larval forms
of several species of moths. The
most common cut worm in the South.
ern tobacco region is the "greasy
cutworn," which is the larva of the
moth AgrOtiS tel!tera. This and all
other cutworm moths are night flyers.
They are the grey and brown millers
which come into lighted worms on
summer evenings. The best remedy
is to kill the moth before they
have deposited their eggs. The
lantern traps recommended for cotton
moths will also and at the same time
serve to destroy the cutworm moth.
The female Agrotis deposits her eggs
singly on weeds, grasses or any low
heritage. The worms hatch out in a
day or two and at once drop to the
ground and burrow under. They
then begin to feed upon the roots OF
grasses, weeds, etc. At the approach
of cold weather the worms, now half
grown, descend deeper in the earth
and lie torpid until spring when they
come again to the surface with appe
tites well s~harpened by their winter
fast. Hence the surprising ~voracity
and destructiveness they exhibit.
When they have reached their full
growth the worms cease to eat and
burrow into the earth where they
change to the pupa state and eventu.
ally, during June or July, to the
winged state. Eggs are then laid as
before described. 1t is possible that
more than one brood of worms is
produced each year in some parts OF
the South, but for the larger area the
moth is only single brooded. To cir,
cumvent the worms next to trap
ping the moth, the best plan is poison.
ing the worms. To effect this the
field should be prepared about a week
before the plants are to be set out.
Cabbage leaves, or balls of l~ucerne,
clover, or any succulent grass are then
to be carefully seasoned with a moist
mixture of Paris green or London
purple and -four. These are to be
used for bats, and should be placed
throughout the field at intervals Of
about Is feet each way. The worms
coming to the surface ravenously
hungry, and finding no plants will eat
the poisoned bats and so happily
make away with themselves. This
remedy which was originally sug
gested by Dr.. G. V. Riley, his been
axt0nSIv2lv and very S7copcSfOlv am