The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-08-17
FROM WEST TO EAST.
Incalcuiable Damage Has Been Done
by the Army Worm.
All Sorts Of Ingenious Methods Em-
ployed to Destroy the Pests.
Chicago Inter Ocean.

The devastation Of the army worm reach
o. from San Francisco to Maine. The
worst of the pest seems to be over out west
now, as the worm is doing the most dam
age in the east.
The farmers in Massachusetts, are having
to fight the pests night and day to save
what they can of their crops. AT Hing
ham, which is only few miles from Bos-
ton, the depredations of the army worm,
on the stock farm owned by Henry @. Jor-
dan in the town, have been very extensive,
and grain valued mt many hundreds of dol
lars has been destroyed.
Mr. Jordan's farm Is on Free street, di-
rectly opposite that owned by ex-senator
Aaron Low. The crops on Mr.. Lows acres
have not been so far seriously injured,
the march of the pest having been stopped
in the nick of time and millions OF the
worms either burned to death or trampled
underfoot
Secretary Sessions of the state board Of
agriculture inspected the infected district
in bingham recently and pronounced the
pest one of the worst tnat have ever visited
the east
Through the lands OF Mr.. Jordan and
his neighbor runs Weir river, small
stream whicfI ms its outlet IN tf,c farbor,
several miles below. Nearly opposite Mr.
Jordan's farm, on the banks of the river
is o miniature forest, an ideal breeding
place for the army worm.
Farmers generally were astounded when
the worms first made their appearance,
and it was not until they had done consid-
cradle damage that Mr.. Jordan succeeded
in checking them.
One of the methods finally devised to de-
stroy the pest was 10 dig trench around
the 81 acre grainficld just in advance of
the line of march. The worms, once in tho
trench, showed tendency 20 travel on
level along the bottom although it was
possible for thom 10 crawl up the side and
out again TO the level field
To prevent this and to hold them in the
trench until somo method OF determination
could be successfully applied, holes We're
dug in the trench about 20 feet apart and
3 feet deep.
Then began the march along the bottom
OF the trench in earnest. and soon the pest
holes were twO-thirds filled with with
ing mass of life. Various poisons We're
tried, with little effect, however, and then
Mr.. Low hit upon an cxpedient which
proved very successful.
Fertilizer bags were tied on long poles
saturated with kerosene ignited and then
drawn through the trench. Then they
were placed along the trench so as to have
the burning bags meet at short intervals
Sure death tn the army worm was the in
cytable result, although the heat drove
many of them 20 burrow in tho earth on
either side Of the trench thus escaping
The following day the burning bags were
again drawn through, aud those that were
not killed the first day were burned the
second.
The number Of worms 20 the square foot
of land was estimated at 1000, and as 10
acres of oats and six acres OF corn were
literally black with them any one can es.
innate the totnl. Here are the figures,
however-43 $50, 900 to an acre; on 81
acres, 9l4, 10000
1t is estimated that the oats on Mr.. Jor-
dams field would have yielded, but for the
army worm, three tons TO the aero Of sweet
fodder. As IL IL, scarcely one ton Of poor
stubble to the acre viii bc harvested. Mr.
Jordan thinks the onslaught of the army
worm has cost him 80, 100
EX- Senator Lows farm, with q crop val
ued at many thousand dollars, is divided
from Mr.. Jordan's farm by Free street,
and there the worms were successfully
stopped. Men, women and children, how
ever, were obliged To put on heavy boots
and pace up and down the Highway, crush
ing the life oat OF The worms as they adj
vanccd in solid masses. New y ork jour
nal