The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-07-14
ARMY WORMS.
They Crawl Together Ia Regular
Military Order.
Something About the Rest That Has
Struck Rhode Island.

The name army worms is somewhat
loosely applied To sevVal di ifieront insects
that bave tho habit OF congregating in
considerable numb bers or of moving from
place to place in large bodies. In some
localities in Western New York the name
is given to the tent caterpillar OF the
forest. In some of the southern States
the cotton worm is called "arny worm,"
and more frequently tho "cotton army
worm.V Still another insect, common
in the Southern States, which sometimes
attacks cotton, has been called the army
worm. 10 distinguish the true army
worm from all others TO which the
name has been given, IL may be called
the northern army worm.
This insect has from time TO time made
its appearance IN destructive mum Ders.
It's earliest recorded appearance in the
eastern States was III l7l3. The years
1870. 1917 and 1861 were those in which 1t Is
reported TO hayo been especially trouble
some in the East (previous 10 1880. In
1861 ii YVES destructive from New Eng
land TO Kansas; in 1875 II visited large
part of Missouri and In 1880 was especially
destructive on Longlsland. Professor Z.
V. Riley was the first TO give the full his
tory OF this insect. IN his reports on the
Insects OF NllbbOurJ, anu III the NulhcN
Prize Essay OF the Boston Natural His
tory Society for 1877; from these tho fol-
lowing Is condensed.
The worm when fuligrown Is dingy
black In cOior~with troad, dusky stripe
along the hack, divided along the middle
by more or less distinct and Irregular
pale line and bordered beneath by q
narrow black line; then narrow whito
/ limo, then another dusky stripe and,
finally, again, u faint white line; tho un-
der side is obscure green. The chrysalis
is mahogany brown in color. The moth
Is OF fawn color. The eggs are laid in
the spring of the year; they are thrust by
means of sn ovipositor, which is admir-
ably adapted for this purpose, in be-
tween he folded sides of grass blade and
glued along the grooves with white,
glistening and adhesive fluid, which not
only fastens them together hut draws
both sides of the grass blade close aroaud
them so as to pretty effectualiy hide
them. The female performs this opera
a green one, and Is especially prone to
oviposit in places where there ia n thick
mating OF coarse last years grass. The
young worm matches in about ten days
and no TO the last month has all tho
habits of an ordinarily cut worm; and
only when they become excessively null
tiplied do they acquire the marching and
the grasses, both wild and cultivated.
At times these insects become so abund-
ant In certain localities that every plant
which can possibly serve as food Is
completely destroyed.
When they are collected in the ditch
they NAV be destroyed either by covering
them with earth, that Is pressed upon
them, by burning straw over
them, or by pouring a little
coal oil in the ditch. When fence lumber
can be easily obtained 1t may be used as
a substitute for the ditch by being se-
cured on edge and then smeared with
Kerosene or coal tar, tho Ia tier being
more particularly useful along the upper
edge.
BY means OF laths and few nails the
boards may be 30 secured that they will
lightly slope away from the held to be
protected. Where the worms are exces-
sively abundant they will need to be-
watched and occasionally dosed with
kerosene to prevent. their.piling up even
with the top OF the board and thus bridg-
ing the barrier.
single plowed furrow six or eight
inches deep and kept friable by dragging
brush In IL, may also lead them off,