The Windham County reformer. (Battleboro, Vt.) 1876-1897, 1896-07-17
THE ARMY WORM.
It's Ravages In Westminster and Other
TOwns-HOw TO Check 1.-THE Scien.
tific Facts About IL.

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TOwns-How TO Check 1.-THE Scien-
tinc Facts About II.
The army worm whose ravages had
for 10 days previous been reported at
various points in Massachusetts, and
New York, is appearing at various
points in the Connecticut Valley in
this section, like veritable Egyptian
plague. Our Hinsdale correspondent
tells woful tale Of its work there and
in Westminter hundreds of acres of
corn and oats have been entirely ruin
ed and Thousands OF dollars OF dam
age done. In some cases farmers have
burned their crops to get rid of them.
Several other towns report the destruc-
tive work in less serious proportion.
Many fields about Centreville and east
Brattleboro have suffered severely, and
even some gardens in the village
here have been attacked. 1t is the
habit of the pest to devour everything
green in field it attacks.
1t Tas 20 years ago that this worm
appeared here in serious proportions
and b Thomas whose fields were
suffering, took specimen to the late
G. G Frost who recommended remedy
which Mr. Thomas successfully applied
and which the agricultural department
officials are sending out in bulletins
low, with some additions. 1t is to pillow
around the affected field deep ditch
or furrow, leaving perpendicular wall
on the outside. up which the worms
cannot climb. Then holes made foot
or two deep, at IL or 20 feet apart
would in short time be filled with
them, where they could easily be
crushed or killed with kerosene. A
broad hand of tar also makes good
barrier, and is renewed as it becomes
filled with its captiyes.
When marching over a comparatively
smooth piece of ground heavy roller
can be used to crush them. When al
ready entered into a cornfield they
may be kept from proceeding further
by ditching as above indicated. A
few rows in advance of the progressing
army should be sprayed with Paris
green in water, or busted, while the
dew is on, with dry Paris green and
air Stacked lime.
1t is believed that the sudden ap
pearance of the pest in localities is
due to the fact that it thrives in
marshy and wet places from which
it has beer driven by the drying up
of Its haunts. and it is forced to seek
its food in the fields of grass, rye,
oats and wheat. Prof. Lintner, the
New York state entomologist, says
1T is not quite certain that this is
the true army worm, Leucania uni
puucta. Some of its operations in
dicate that it may prove to be what
is known as the wheat head army
worm, Leucania albolinea. The cater
pillars OF the two are SO much alike
that cannot determine this point
until some OF the moths have been
reared.
The army worm, when abundant.
is usuallyiattacked by parasite which
LAYS a number of its eggs on the fore
part of the. body near the head.
None of these are sbe seen on the
now with us, nor has
another parasite been observed prey
ing upon them.
But other observers say: ''Most OF
the larger worms now bear on their |
backs, closely adhering, small, white
eggs, which were stuck there by an
active little insect looking very mucn
like our common house fly; from the
eeg there will soon hatch minute
maggots. which will burrow into the
army worms and revel IN the juices
and fatty tissues of their bodies, grad
lally sapping the life of the caterpil
ars. Few, if any of the army worms
oearing the eggs of this little parasite
1y will ever succeed in passing
.brough the wonderful trahformation
o the moth age. y