The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1899-07-05
Enemy or Corn Crop.

The corn crop Of the South is threat
encd with total loss by the destructive
onslaught of the larger cotton stalk
borcr. new enemy that has come to
dcyastatc 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
received quite an interesting collection
of the worm and the stalks upon which
he finds his existence.
The worm is hatchcd from the eggs
of a moth that lays on the young stalk
of corn. The period Of Matching re-
uuircs little more than week. and the
moment the newborn pest opens its
eyes in the new world lie begins boring
his way into the heart Of the stalk,
killing and poisoning the life Of the
plant
State f;ntomologist Scott, in an in
tcrc>ting interview this morning, tells
the full story Of the worm and the
remedy that must be applied to save
the crop from destruction.
Entomologist Scott, in speaking Of
tlc worm that is so destructive, says.
The larger cornstalk borer is a
large white caterpillar, dotted with
darI brown spots, which borcs into
cor stalks preventing the growth Of
the ears in young corn and weakening
older stalks SO that it is readily blown
down. 1t frequently occurs in such
numbers in corn field, that one stalk
Of corn may be riddlcd with twenty or
thirty holes.
This insect is quite well distribu-
ted over the Southern States and fre-
Iuently becomes very troublesome.
causing Il loss Of 70 to 80 per cent. of
the crop when it occurs in large num-
bcrs. Aside from corn it also attacks
sugar cane, sorghum, and CANA grass
Or semain grass.
''Thc adult insect is moth which
deposits eggs on young corn soon after
it comes up. The eggs soon hatch and
the young larvn 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 cars.
There is second generation of this
insect which borcs into the we'll grown
stalks and so wcakcns them that they
are frequently blown over. This
second generation passes the winter in
the old corn stalks ready to produce
spring brood to attack the next crop
of corn.
'Thc remedy for this insect consists
entirely Of preventive measures. Since
the caterpillars ovcr-winter in the old
corn stalks they can be almost entirely
destroyed 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, affords the very best condi-
tions for this insect to hold over the
winter and continnc to multiply year
after year The stalks should be
dragged of. collected and burned DUR
ing the fall and winter.
again, corn should not follow corn
on infested lands. A system of rota-
tion 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
gama grass is growing should be burn
ed over every year to destroy the worm
infestiog this grass. If these preyen-
tive measures are followed farmers
nee0 not suFnr from attacks of the