The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-07-16
ARMY WORMS.
DOing Immense Damage to Crops in
New England.
Suggestions of Methods for Their Exter-
mination,

suggestions OF Methods for Their Exter-
mination.
The pest of army worms, which has
developed in New England within the
last few days Is assuming proportions
actually formidable. In many places
millions of these voraoious insects are re-
ported to be eating up everything that is
green. and to be running crops of all
sorts.
The pest is already in Boston's sub
urbs. For several days war has been
wagei upon the hungry hordes at Hing
ham and now the north side Of the city
is attacked. Revere is the latest place
to report tho fncursion of the army
worm.
Millions of the creatures are eating eve
ryth1ng in sight in the north shore town,
and growing fields and truck gardens are
turning brown beneath the attacking
mandibles OF the insect pest.
The worms are under foot and one
can hardly walk in some of the streets
of the town without smearing his shoe
with the worms crushed under foot
In Dark Lane, especially, where there
are fields on either side, one cannot pass
without crushing dozens.
The worms are swarming over every
thing green, and one barn in Revere
is almost covered with them, and tho
gray green of the worm has obliterated
the original color Of the barn.
They are destroying the Drops with
lightning rapidity, and 1t is matter Of
grave conjecture as to when this rival of
the gypsy moth can be stamped out 1t
is one of the unfortunate features of the
army worms warfare upon the farmers
until the wonderful proliigaoY of this
kind has sent for myriads OF the destroy
ers into the grain fields the worm re-
mains unnoticed, although present all
the time. AS soon as withered splotches
N grass plot or denuded humm ocks of
grain patch draw attention to its ac-
tivities, the multltudes Of the destroyer
are beyond the farmers power to cope
with, and ruined crops are inevitable
The worms pile upon another to cross
streams or slippery logs, they climb up
and down tree trunks instead Of going
around them, and in their Yoraoious
marches they denude whole farms of
vegetable life. Though present at all
times. for the most part of the time they
Go no appreciable harm. and their vista
at irregular and unprotected intervals.
The worm Is black in color. with pale
green belly, and light yellow stripe on
either side, running from head to tail,
dividing the black and green coat of the
pest.
Massachusetts, Is not the only State
which is suffering from the ravages of
the bug, as can be seen from the news
dispatches which have brought word
that the worms arc causing ruin in the
cultivated fields of western and south
western New York about North iona
wanda, in the Hudson River counties In
the neighborhood of Poaghksepsie and
Newburgh, and Long Island, destroying
as one telegram said, thousands OF BUSH
els of grain every hour. and, according
to another. making away with Is acres
of rye within % hours after they were
first noticed in the patch.
A IA acre farm owned by the B. B. &
r. K. Knight Company as River Point
Il. l., has been devastated by the army
were first noticed the field was alive with
worms, and not content with stripping
the stalks they also ats up the tender
grass shoots which grew among the oats.
They lay iR the fields under the stalks
ourled up, and fat to bursting almost,
and enc could not tread anywhere with
out crushing at least score Of them.
foot, and ranged in length from three
quarters Of an inch to one and one-half
inches. Their munohtng could be heard
in the field like the pRtter of the rain
fuIrow had been plowed and then
dug out TO make the sides as steep as pos
sible. Into the ditch thus formed the
worms were dropped at the Tete of ap-
parently 1000 minute for every linenr
rod They didn't stay in the trenches,
but sealed the opposite side and pushed
on toward the next field with its loads
Of new nown hay.
Besides the birds who will get after
these worms if the grain Is not too thick,
they have many other enemies, among
them a ground beetle. Among the
worms enemies are several parasitic
ones.
A thin tillage, uniform, but nos close,
makes conditions hard for the worms.
Farmers are warned by DR.. Lockwood
to look early in May for the caterpillars
point Of originaGion the thick spots of
grass or grain, and in damp places in
meadows and grain fields. Especially if
the winter is mild and the spring warm
after a wet year watch should be kept
for the moths and worms. 1t q breeding
spot is found the grass or grain may be
cut out and fed TO the stock. If the
worms have hatohed the cripkling sound
of the feeding will direct tie searcher
in the stiffness of evening or early morn
Ing
Burning over fields in the fall, instead
Of allowing stubbie and stacks to remain
on them, is also advised, as is burning
over a field as late In she spring as posi-
Bile. 1t ia said that field is free from
worms according as it is free from stub
BILE and old straw. A person may walk
daily in his lots and not see that the
worms are there until the grass plot
gets bare in patches. Entomologist
Thonlaa Of Illinois failed to see them IN
his own backyard, although he was
looking for them, until the bare patches
told him that they wers there and at
work