The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-07-22
PROF. OTTO LUGGER's ADVICE TO
FARMERS ON THE ARMY
WORM.
ARE DUE AFTER A WET SPRING,
BUT WILL HARDLY MAKE THEIR
APPEARANCE IN MINNESOTA
NEXT YEAR,
HOW BEST TO GET RID OF THEM.
PIow Deep Furrow With the
Straight Part Towards the Side
to be Protected.

Prof. Otto Lugger, the state entomol-
ogist, has been receiving numerous
letters recently, complaining about the
army worm. Speaking about the mat
ter yesterday, Prof. Lugger said: '"They
are not alone common in our state,
where nearly every county is more or
less seriously invaded, but are found
as far east as the state of Pennsyl-
vania. The army worm, under normal
conditions, is nothing but a cut worm,
and all the damage it causes is done in
that shape. Only in extreme summers
following wet spring do they become
exceedingly numerous, and only to-
ward the end Of the larval period do
they bind themselves together and
seek new pastures.
''These armies do not do so much
damage as one would suppose" con-
tinued the professor, "for their large
numbers, and about the time these
armies are formed the blades of such
plants as wheat, oats and barley are
unsuited for animal food or have al
most been eaten. In this case the
worm can only cause considerable
damage by eating off the only green
part the chaff, and in doing so they
are apt to expose the kernel, which
will shrivel in consequence. They pos
sess an another bad habit namely,
this; they eat off the branches of the
panicles of oats which, of course suf-
fer readily in consequence When we
look at these worms, composing such
an army, we find that a large number
are badly infested with parasites. One
or every three worms has from one to
six cream-colored minute eggs fas-
tened there by communicating fly.
that looks very much like a thrifth
and over-fed house fly. If you watch
these flies depositing their eggs you
will see a peculiar and novel sight.
They hustle around their intended vic
tim, which is well aware of the intend
cd purpose of it's enemies, and twists
and comforts it's body in a most violent
manner, at the same time ejecting the
nasty stomach fluid toward the tor
mentor. But all in vain; before long
the fly has deposited it's eggs and Wis
its another victim. Several other par
as1tes are now exceedingly numerous
These have more cruel way of reach
Ing the end in view, as they insert
their eggs into the living worm. Those
| that wish to see the actual struggle
for existence should go to the trouble
of going to a field infested with army
worms at night time with a lantern.
They would be able to see a large num-
Der OF insects and animals come to the
feast served to them by nature
1T would take too much time to en-
large upon these points, but they all
snow that the army worm is not to be
blamed for moving away
Like in so many other cases, an
| ounce Of prevention is worth a pound
/ or cure. Ii we look over the fields in
! Whlcn army worms are playing such
havoc, we can soon trace that they
came from more or less well defined
SPACE. This space is either a low piece
| OF land overgrown with course swamp
! grass, or it is remnant of an old hay
or straw pile, that ought to have been
! removed long ago. Such, and similar.
| places are selected by the moths which
come from such worms that escape
destruction, to lay their eggs in Here
the few that succeed in wintering over
as very minute worms have an oppor-
tun1ty to grow and to produce the first
generation of moths, which are never
injurious. These moths, however, at
the rate at which they increase. are per-
! fectly able to produce innumerable
armies later in the season, provided.
however, they are favored with such a
suitable condition as a wet spring. If
we follow one Of these worms. we will
see that 1T disappears from view in
! about four days from now. 1t forces its
way into the soil, and by turning round
and round, it forms there cell in which
| 1t changes into a reddish brown pupa
from which the moths issue, and to
show the power Of increase it is only
necessary to mention that they lay
about $50 eggs, which hatch in about
eight days.
Now, what shall we do to fight these
nasty worms? Now, that the greater
damage has been done, a real remedy
GENES to late. Yet there is a sort of
facination in the thought that we can
kill immense numbers of these disgust
ing insects. They nearly all move in
one general direction, which is in our
| favor. BY moving off a wide swath
| between the fields invaded and the
! fields to which the worms are travel
ing, and then blowing a deep furrow
with its straight side towards the part
/ to be protected, we have an excellent
trap which can be improved on accord
ing to the conditions Of the ground, by
making holes with crowbar into which
| l1lS WOIluS luulDlS LII IilOSt eases LILLE
deep furrow or ditch Is sufficient, but
If the number of worms is very great
| second parallel furrow should be made
throwing the earth over into the first
furrow, for in so doing the prisoners
are covered up and we start new
line of defense. Many other methods
are in vogue, but they are all simply
notifications of this system, and any
person with a little ingenuity. can add
to them. If the furrow made is kept
| fairly dusty it will form barrier
4 which but few worms can scale.
TT is sometimes recommended tic
spray with Paris green all the plants
in the way over which the army worm
1 passes. 1t seems to me that is an ex-
cellent remedy in theory, but I have
failed thus far to receive any good
results from 1t.
Farmers need not fear a repretition
| of the army worm for some time, ex-
cept the spring Of '97 should be again
| exceptionally wet. The very great ma
iority of these worms are doomed to die
by their numerous enemies, nor is there
| any danger that the army worm will
ever eat fax, fear expressed by some
| people in their letters. The food of the
| army worms is taken solely from the
| grass family
cit would be a good thing If all the
papers in the country would copy what
1 have told you" said Prof. Lugger in
| conclusion, "as by so doing damage
| and much xxyo,.rxy will he cova6 A.