Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1896-09-26
BUGS AND WORMS.
A Novel Battle waged Between
Noxious InsectsI
Hordee OF Potato Beetles Make an On
siaught Upon Invading Army Worms
and the Battle Lasts
for HourS

Cosmus EclSenrode, of Pike township,
was in Reading the other day, and gave
the details of a most extraordinary cc-
currencc which happened upon his farm
recently. Mr.. Eckenrode has a potato
patch Of about an acre and a half near
the western line of his farm. adjoining
the land of Samuel ken6erdine. This
place was 50 infested with potato bugs
that several weeks ago he gave up any
hope of having crop, and he allowed
the bugs to have their own way. In
spite OF their numbers, however, they
bad not succeeded entirely in eating up
the rapidly growing vines. The army
worms invaded the farm of his neigh
Dor, Mr.. Kenderdine, and crossed over
Into Mr.. Eckenrode's land. Mr.. Ecken-
rode went out TO observe the progress of
the pests, and in doing so came TO the
potato patch. He found potato bugs
assembled in countless thousands on
the edge of the patch nearest to Mr..
Kenderdine's land. and facing the di-
rection from which the army worms
were coming.
| When Mr.. Eckenrode first came TO the
potato Patch the advance guard of the
| worms were arriving. AS soon as
xorm would come within reach of the
Bugs one of them would fasten itself
Upon his back and begin to eat him, Just
IS il he were succulent potato vine.
The result would be that before his
wormship could advance yard he
would begin TO writhe and wiggle in the
agonies of death. and would soon be
hors de combat
The worms, whose appetite IS a most
voracious one, appeared 10 be all IN
suspecting of the design Of the bugs,
and upon their first approach invaria-
bly, attempted 10 eat them, supposing,
no doubt. that they We're some new kind
lof vegetable, but the hard shell of the
bugs served as an imPenetrable armor,
rendered them perfectly safe against
ANY weapons the worms could bring
against them.
Ii is needless to say that Mr.. Ecken-
rode watched this curious battle with
intense interest. In short time after
his arrival the worms Logan to come by
the thousands and tens of thousands,
and the battle ragged most furiously.
The army of potato beetles was appar-
entity numberless, and as fast as the
! army worms came on they were attacked
and killed IN the way before described.
/. Sometimes when there was an unusual
rush, q sort of Pickett's charge, as il
! we're, the inflow of worms would ad-
! vance for a yard or two within the line
} of the bugs, but only TO add their dead
bodies to the wriggling, writhing mas
! The slaughter went on at such q rate
! that in a few hours strip of ground
: about ten feet wide along the edge Of
: the potato patch was covered to an aver
] age Of foet in depth with dead worms
l In the meantime tie neighbors fol
e quite a distance around had heard Of
( this unique battle and had assembled e
n watch it. From early morning until
4 late in the afternoon it kept up, whcI
l not only did the advancing army worm
!. begin to thin out, but the barrier raiset
e by the dead bodies of their companion
y prevented further advancing in tina
d direction. Then, by seine sort Of an Gr
e parent understanding among then
n the worms changed the direction O
y their march and ceased to advance VI
e on the demesne Of the bugs. The latter
4 shortly after this took place, scattere
back among the potato vines and re
e sumed their usual occupation Thereon
y There were to all appearances bu
few casualties among the bugs, a
r though many of them were caught i
II the crush OF the advancing worms an
e. smothered or trampled to death.
IS One day lately hundreds of peopl
ID from all over Pike and adjoining towr
" ships came to view the results of tn
ie strange battle. Mr.. Eckenrode est
III mates that the dead worms will prob
a bly weigh eight tons. He intends to us
g them for fertilizing purposes.-Phil;
in delphia Press.