The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1899-12-01
THE ALFALFA WORM.
Threatening Insect Foe For Alfel.
ia and sugar Beets.

4 threatening Insect Foe For Alfal.
ia and Sugar Beets.
A feature Of a disastrous nature to
farmers in Nebraska, attributed ~ a
great many persons to the drought. is
the subject Of Il communication from
u correspondent in The Country Cen.
tleman. This is the appearance OF
pests which are destroying alfalfa
fields by the thousand throughout the
state. The correspondent says:
The bug does not seem to be doing
any particular damage to other vege-
tation. The great recommendation to
past years has been It's freedom from
damage by insect life. The insect has
been named the alfalfa worm be-
cause it has been known to travel a
mile around a wheattield to get into
the alfalfa fields. The pest has dam
aged beetfields somewhat. but alfalfa
has sustained the greatest loss.
The state entomologist has defined
the worm as the fall army worm In
contradistinction to the regular army
worm, which was known to do
any damage in this latitude after the
middle of August. The alfalfa pest
resembles the army worm In every re-
spect. The worm. however. differs In
technical ways essentially from the
regular army worm. rs known to the
farmers generally. The body Of the
regular army worm. for instance. Is
smooth and devoid Of hair. but the fall
army worm has sparse hairs growing
out from small black spots on his body.
giving it a much rougher appearance.
The fall army worm also possesses a
whitish Y shaped mark on the head
and differs from the other species also
by being one-third smaller.
The state university has advised
farmers to plow as deeply as possible
in those sections Of the state where the
new pest has made its appearance.
The worm ordinarily eats the alfalfa
down to the roots. and many farmers
fear the very root Of the plant is rem
dered worthless by them. There is
some apprehension that this worm VIII
prove very damaging to the winter
wheat that has been put In. On this
point the university scientific gentle
men have agreed and advised the farm
ers of the state to be sure to keep the
fields free from weeds. that the moths
may have as little opportunity to
propagate as possible. This insect
passes the winter. they explain. in lit
tie cells just below the surface, and
the breaking Of these cells results In
the destruction Of the eggs deposited.
1t is impossible to do anything OF this
kind in the alfalfa fields unless the
farmers are prepared to lose In one sea-
son the fields they have cultivated for
several years.
Alfalfa culture has reached enor-
nous proportions in Nebraska the past
three years. Today 1t Is estimated that
Of the 300. OOO,O 600 tons Of hay produc-
ed by the state this year one-half Of
the product. or nine-tenths of the cul.
tivated grasses. was alfalfa. This In
dicates the Importance of the crop that
is being threatened by the fall army
In the sugar beet fields the worms
have been destroyed in large numbers
by spraying the plants with paris
green in strength Of one pound to $50
gallons Of water. This has been found
very satisfactory and would have been
done in the alfalfa fields had It not
been found that dragging heavy roll
ers over the fields appeared to produce
better results. In many counties OF
the state both Of these remedies. how
ever, have been tried. and still the
worms seem to prosper. travelling from
field to field in their efforts to find
something to eat. h