The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-12-26
The Life Hiatoru OF Cut Worms

There are few garden pests that are more
exasperating In their manner of doing dam
age than the cut worms, writes Clarence NJ.
Weed in the Anlericon CuItiuator. A
choice tomato plant, perhaps of q new
variety, half dozen young cabbages, two
or three young squashes near together. are
found lying PROSTATE in the morning, when
they were upright and healthy the evening
before It is easy TO see that their stems
have been cut of near the surface OF the
ground during the night, but no other signs
of the depredator are visible. Sometimes
by poking the earth away from the roots Of
the plant one can find dirty brown worm.
This is the cut worm, the author of the mis-.
chief.
There are great many different species
Of these cutworms. and they attack a great
variety of field and garden crops. They
are all young or larvae of medium-sized
nighu-hYing moths. These moths deposit
their eggs generally on the twigs or branches
of trees or shrubs and the Larvae, which
soon hatch from the eggs, descend to the
ground, where they feed upon grass or
clover They become about half grown by
the time winter sets it. Then they shelter
themselves under boards or rubbish. or bur
row into the soil.
Thus they pass the winter, and in spring
come out of their hiding places in a very
furnished cond ton. They begin feeding as
scoG ss possible, and attack great variety
of plants. such as cabbages, tomatoes, tur>
nips, squashes: melons, corn, oats and Others
In the garden they commonly gnaw off the
stems and leave the plants on the ground ,
though occasionally they eat the whole
plant. Late in the spring, or early in sum-
mer, they become full-grown as worms.
Than they make themselves hollow cells in
the soil and change to the pupa or chrysalls
state. Two or three weeks later they again
change, this time coming forth as adult
moths. In some species there are two broods
each season, and in Others there is but one.
Like all other injurious insects, cutworms
fuctuste greatly In numbers from year to
year Some seasons they are very de-
structive, while at other times their in jurles
may attract no attention This is doubtless
due TO the various enemies cutworns have
TO contend with. They are prayed upon by
birds, toads. frogs and predaceous beetles
They are attacked by many kinds of in-
ternal parasites and are subject 60 certain
contagious diseases. ALI these agencies
help greatly TO keep the pests in check.
ARTIFICIAL REMEDIES.
] have recently summarized three most
important methods of artificialiy checking
cutworm damage, as follows:
l. The poison method. This consists in
killing of the worms before the crops are
plGuJSu, ny sIr0WluR over Un6 SOLI DuuCnes
Of fresh clover or cabbage leaves, which
have been trea ed with Paris green or Lon
don purple, either by dipping into solu-
ton OF the poison, or busting it on dry. The
half-grown worms proving about in search
of food eat of the bats thus set and are de-
stroyed before doing any harm. This
method has proved practical success with
many gardeners, and is well worth trying
where there is likely to be trouble from
these pests. OF course cara must be taken
that chickens or stock do not get at the
poisoned leaves.
2. Using boards as traps This method
consists in placing boards on the ground IN
aud about the garden. and collecting in the
morning the worms that will congreg6te
beneath them during the night.
3. Digging out the worms where plants
have been cut off. This is practicable in
most gardens and is well worth doing, thus
preventing further damage.
Fall pho wing is also valuable general
measure, because it exposes the worms to
enemies ana the weather. Burning up rab-
Dish and over waste grassland also kills
some.