The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-06-26
coRN's ENEMY A TINY WORM.
Small Caterpillar Is Threatening
Destruction to the Crop.
From de Atlanta Journal.

destruction TO the Crop.
From the Atlanta Journal
The corn crop of the South is threatened
with total loss by The destructive on
s!aught of the larger cotton stalk borer
new enemy that has come to devastate
the fields of growing grain.
Many letters have been received by
State Entomologist Scott from farmers in
all sections of the state, and he has re-
ceived quite an interesting collection of
the worm and the stalks upon which he
IEds his existence.
The worm is Matched from the eggs Of
a moth that lays on the young stalks of
corn. The period of Matching requires lit
lie more than week, and the moment
the newborn pest opens his eyes i'm the
new world he begins boring his way into
the heart of the stalk, killing and poison
ing the life of the plant
State Entomologist Scott, in an inter
esting interview this morning. tells the
full story of the worm and the remedy
that must be applied to save the crop
from destruction.
What Entom oIOgiSt scott Says.
Entomologist Scott, in speaking of the
worm that is so destructive, says:
'"rhe larger cornstalk borer is a large
white caterpillar dotted with dark brown
spots. which bores into the cornstalks pre-
venting the growth of the ears in young
corn and weakening oder stalks SO that
it is readily blown down. 1t frequently
occurs in such numbers in cornhelds that
one stalk Of corn may be riddled with
twenty or thirty holes.
This insect is quite well distributed over
the Southern states and frequently be-
comes very trou blesome, causing loss
of 25 to so per cent. of the crop when 1t
occurs in large numbers. Aside from
corn IL also attacks sugar cane, sorghum
and CANA grass or semain grass.
THE adult insect Is a moth which de-
posits its eggs on young corn soon after
it comes up. The eggs soon hatch and the
young larvae bore into the stalk from
the ground to the third joint and tunnel
usually upward through the pith. Corn
stalks affected become distorted and do
not form ears.
Two Generations Annually.
There is a second generation of this In
sect which bores into the well grown
stalks and so weakens them that they are
frequently blown over. This second gen.
GRAFTON passes the winter in the Old corn
stalks ready to produce a spring brood TO
attack the next crop Of corn.
THE remedy for this insect consists en-
tirely of preventive measures. Since the
caterpillars over-winter i'm the old corn
stalks they can be almost entirely de-
stroyed by burning these stalks in the fall
or winter after the crop is gathered.
'Our method of pulling the fodder and
leaving the stalks on the ground, or even
cutting the corn and leaving the butts. af-
fords the very best conditions for this in
sect to hold over the winter and continue
10 multiply year after year. The stalks
should be dragged off. collected and burn
ed during the fall or winter.
Corn should Not Follow.
Again, corn should not follow corn on
infested lands. A system Of rotation. of
crops should be adopted, so that corn will
not be planted on the same land two years
in succession. The same is true Of sugar
cane and sorghum. Also swamps in which
CANA grass is growing should be burned
over every year to destroy the worm n
Testing this grass. If these preventive
measures are followed farmers need not
suffer from attacks Of this pest"