The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1903-04-23
CUT WORMS.
The Most Destructive Of Early
Insects for Tender
Plants.

Inc most destructive insect Of
the early spring, especially to
young and tender plants, are the
cut.worms, which live in the soil
and come forth to feed only at
night. They are not often seen
because they are concealed dur.
ing the daytime, but their work
is too well known to every one
who has tried to make an early
garden or has planted corn on a
grass sod. They do their de-
structure work by crawling out
of their subterranean burrows at
night and cutting off the young
plant just at or beneath the sur
face of the soil and eating away
the part they choose to use as
food. Some species, known as
Climbing Cut-worm, climb trees
at night and feed on the young
buds and the leaves of trees, es-
pecially fruit trees. They are of
course quite destructive. The
work of cut.worms is similar to
that of earthworms, excepting
that the latter generally draw the
end of the plant into their bur.
rows after having broken it off or
pulled it out, while the former
generally eat away a portion at
the base end, leaving the remain.
der lying where it fell.
There are great many kinds
or species of cut-worms but they
are so nearly alike that only an
expert can generally recognize
the differences, and they are uni
formly obnoxious, working by
similar methods and generally
attacking similar plants in the
same manner. They are the lar.
vac, grubs or "worms" of COM
mon grayish to dark. .colored and
thick-winged moths or "millers"
about an inch or more in extent,
which fly around lights so abun-
dainty little later in the sum-
mer. They are cylindrical, about
a quarter of an inch in diameter,
and about an inch long when full
ly grown, and dark or about the
color of the soil, marked with
stripes.
They pass the winter as imma-
ture larvae in the soil and in the
early spring they become active
and are prepared to eat the first
available growing vegetation
They then feed and grow for
while, and next become pupa or
chrysalids in cells in the ground.
After a short quiescent pupal pc
riod they emerge as transformed
or winged moths, and fly about
in search of their mates and suit
able places to deposit their eggs.
They die after these are found
and the eggs are laid.
AS with most winged insects,
especially of this general type,
they do not take any food of i'm
portance in this adult state
There may be two or more broods
per year, owing to temperature
and food supply. They are most
destructive in the early spring
because then they are most vora-
cIous and there is but little un-
cultivated vegetation available for
them to feed upon, and the cult
waited plants are smallest, and
their depredations are therefore
most conspicuous and serious.
AS the eggs from which they
hatch are laid in the previous fall
and the larvae attain a partial
growth before winter, we see
why they are most abunda INIT
corn on sod ground. They have
been feeding on the grass and
clover, but when this is destroy
ed by plowing they are forced to
attack the young corn plants.
REMEDIES.
There is no one remedy that Is
entirely effective, but if the fol-
lowing are combined we are sure
relief will be obtained DE
struction of all weeds and grass
and unnecessary vegetation espe.
cially in gardens. This will re.
duce their numbers in the sum-
mer and fall so they will not be so
destructive the following spring.
2-Hand picking, by finding