Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1896-07-25
The Army Worm in Woodstock.

ton III several parts of the state, is
in Woodstock, first being heard
from in Hartland, then IN Quechec,
the dreaded pest making its first at
tack on the Billings farm, where il
has succeeded in destroying por-
ton of the oat crop. Mr.. Aitken is
now cutting the oats to save the m
He does not seem to apprehend
much danger to crops about here
now, as the worm has about reached
maturity, when it disappears in
the ground. A ploughed furrow
about the field he considers the hes
barrier to the progress of the worm.
Every precaution should be taken,
and the suggestions found below
may be useful to everyone interested
in saving the crops.
Within day or two the army
worm has been found on ]. Foster
Rhodes Sunnyside farm, where it
devouring the corn. The farms of
Nathan Gushing and H. c. Sherwin
are also threatened.
In Chester large field of oats be-
longing to O. E. Head has been
totally ruined by the army worms.
The worms eat the leaves and then
cut the oat head off, leaving nothing
but the bare stalk standing.
In Springfield the worms have
done great damage, particularly in
the oat crop.
The pest first appeared in Hart
land, Mr.. J. H. Eastman tells The
Age, in patch of corn on Lewis
Merritt's farm, which was destroyed
in single night, the worms next
turning their attention to the oats.
On the farms of Fred Rogers, Guy
Graham and Leonard Macarthur the
oat fields were next found to be in
tested and the oats were all cut in an
attempt to stop the ravages of the
pest. which continued to feed on Mr..
Mc.Arthur's crop to such an extent
that it was quickly taken from the
field where it lay. In one spot Il
foot square Is worms were counted.
Mr.. Benjamin was also among the
sufferers, though less damage was
done on his farm.
AS precaution all the Hartland
farmers are cutting their oats, though
it is believed there the worst is over.
The pests seem to spring up here
and there, not combining their raw
ages to one continuous belt.
The State agricultural experiment
station has issued bulletin signed
by G. H. Perkins, entomologist of
the station, giving some account of
the pest with suggestions as to reme-
dies.
The army worm, it says, is the
immature state of Il moth often seen
flying about in the evening or night.
The moth is usually from one and
half to two inches inches across the
spread wings They are ,gray-browh
in color and lay their eggs in the
spring and fall on the inside of fold
ed leaves Of grasses or between the
sheath and stalk, on old hay or straw
stacked in fields, on old corn stalks,
or If such places are lacking, on
growing gram or grass.
When first Matched the worms are
light colored and very small and for
some time are not likely to be no
ticed. This is especially true if they
live on sod, where they are concealed
by the thick grass. Here they live
year after year, unknown because
unseen. But if season is especial
ly favorable for their development
they may increase very rapidly and
creep from the grass to the cultivat-
ed fields, where they are more no
ticeable. Hence they seem to ap-
pear suddenly every few years, al
though they have been living in the
locality the whole time. Dry sea-
sons are especially favorable to the
increase of this insect and they are
often unusually abundant in wet
season Immediately following dry
one.
The tull-grown worm is from one
and quarter to one and a half
inches long. The surface of their
body is smooth as ordinarily seen,
though Il magnifying glass reveals
scattered hairs.
Along the back is rather wide
band of dull black, shading on each
side to grayish tint. Then, in Sue
cession, there is, on each side, mar
row black line, a very narrow white
line, wider yellowish stripe, a mar
row white line, dusky, or blackish
stripe, narrow white line, Il red
dish yellow band, white line, and,
finally, the greenish under-suriace.
The distinctness and shading of
lines, however, vary in different in
dividuals. The head is CLASSY. of