The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1905-10-27
CORN. WORM BUSY
IN SOUTH DAKOTA
Professor Wheeler Classics
the Pest and Discusses
Remedies.
ALL ovERTHE NORTHWEST
lt Is Stated That Fall Flowing Tend.
to Decrease Numbers by Ex-
posing Pupa to Severe Cold
Of Winter.

Brcokings, S.. d., Oct. 24-ProfessOr
w. A. Wheeler, botanist of the Brook
ings agricultural college, says Of the
corn worm: The worm which has
caused so serious damage to the corn
crop in South Dakota and the neigh
boring stayes this year is known under
various names depending upon the
plant which 1T attacks. 1t is known as
the corn worm the corn ear Worm,
worm, tobacco bud worm or the false
bud worm of the tobacco, and by var
ious other names. The pest has var
ious food plants, the most common of
which are, however, corn, cotton, TO-
mato and tobacco. These four crops
are often very seriously injured by it's
attacks. 1t also feeds upon the pump
kin, melon, squash, red pepper, ground
cherry, bean, pea, as well as upon some
of our cultivated ornamental plants as
the gladiolus, mlgnonette, geranlum,
etc.
It will be difficult to find an insect
more widely distributed than is the
corn worm 1t has been found in every
quarter of the globe, therefore no 10
calities in which any plants upon which
it feeds are grown can be CONSIDERED
immune from it's attack. In the United
States 1T is very Well distributed, nav
ing been reported from the Canadian
boundary to Texas and from the At
lantic coast to California
In the Northwest.
In South Dakota and Minnesota the
worm Is coming to be quite commonly
known because of its injuries to the
corn crop. This year 1t seems to be 10
cally very abundant in the corn fields
Of South Dakota. Its injuries are most
attacks the ears of the corn after they
appear. The worm does mot, however,
| limit itself to the ears, but earlier In
| the season attacks the buds, young
| leaves and tassels. AS soon as the ears
| appear the worms enter the tip OF the
ear and feed upon the silks and young
\ corn The silk is sometimes eaten at
the time Of pollination, before fertillza-
| ton of the Kernels can take place, thus
| often preventing portions of the ea1
| from filling out The worm continues
feeding upon the ears Of the corn until
they are mature or until time for the
worms to enter the ground and go into
the chrysalis stage for winter.
The color of the worm varies with
its exposure to light and also with the
kind of plant or the condition Of the
plant on which it feeds. 1t may be
found in all variations Of color from {
light green without spots or stripes te
a very marked striped worm some
times appearing almost black. In thu
northern states the insect probabl,
very seldom has more than two brood
or generations in a single season. Th'
mature insect is a medium-sized moth
This moth lays it's eggs at twilight upoi
any portion Of the plant.
No Known Remedy.
|. From the above brief outline of tn
insect and its life-history it will b
seen that practical remedies to comba
this insect are hard to find. In fact III
good remedy is known. Very late fal
plowing of infested corn fields to dis
turb the insects in the pupa stage ant
expose them to the severe winte
weather may tend to lessen the mum
bers the following season. Unless thi
We're done almost universally in the in
tested localities it would not have an.
very perceptible effect the followin,
season. Rotation Of crops which would
bring some crop upon which this worn
did not feed upon the ground to follow
the corn might he beneficial