Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-03-20
AMONG the enemies which the

IA farmer mas TO combat perhaps
"a none are more troublesome
than insects. Nothing is more
aggravating than to have promising
crop of fruit or grain attacked by
horde Of bugs" and greatly injured
II not entirely ruined.
Insects, like weeds, are very difficult
to deal with If you go at them one Mt
a time. but If properly managed they
can be easily held in check. From
the standpoint Of the damage they do,
insects may be divided into two
classes-those which attach. field crops
and those which are injurious to fruit
and garden crops.
mere are a number OF insects
which attack corn. While these are
seldom present in large enough num-
bers to destroy any considerable part
Of the entire crop, the money value
of the damage they inflict on the corn
grown ON a quarter section each year
amounts to no small sum.
One OF the most important of these
pests is the corn root worm. The
eggs, which are laid in the cornfield
during August or September. hatch
during the next June or July. The
worms when full grown are about
one-third Of an inch long and as big
around ~ pin. They bore up inside
the roots, injuriag them % badly that
the growth of the plant is seriously
checked. Often, too, the roots are 30
weakened that the corn blows down
badly. Some time during August the
worm goes through transformation
called pupation, which changes 1t into
a small light green beetle This bee
tie feeds on the silks IN tips OF ears
and lays eggs for the next years crop
OF worms.
Another insect which lives on the
roots of corn is the root louise. These
lice are very small and helpless. They
are kept through the winter in the
egg stage in ant hills. In the spring
after they hatch they ara placed on
the corn roots by the ants. The ants
are very fond Of sweet fluid which
is secreted by the lice, and they take
care of them for this purpose.
Other insects which do more or less
damage to the corn crop are the stalk
borer, wireworm, white grub, bill bug.
cutworm, etc. These insects live and
multiply in grass land and from there
find their way into the adjoining corn
fields. They do the greatest damage,
however, when the grass land Is
plowed up and put into corn.
The damage from nearly oil insects
affecting corn. small grain or grass
can be readily prevented by q good
system of rotation. This is especially
true if clover is used, since such In
sects as cutworms and g.ubs do not
work to any extent on clover. The
frequent blowing Of the ground and
change of crops where rotation is fol-
lowed are fatal to most insects. Dam
age from these pests will be still fur
Their reduced If the soil is kept so well
supplied with plant food that the
plants can get quick start In the
spring. Treated in this way. they are
more vigorous and better able to with
stand insect attacks.
These remedies, with the exception
Of the last, cannot be applied to Or
chard and garden crops, since these
must be grown on the same land year
after year. For the insects affecting
these crops spraying is the best rem
edy.
The principal insect that attacks the
apple is the ccdling moth. These in
sects pass the winter IN ball of silk,
or cocoon, which they spin around
themselves. These cocoons are hidden
beneath the bark and under rubbish.
Such as happen to escape the hungry
search of woodpeckers and other birds
change to the pupa stage in the spring.
In this stage changes take place in
side the body of the worm which so
transform it that early in June it
comes out cf the cocoon as small
brown n,ct,,