Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1912-07-19
How to Fight the Grass Worm.
By R. ". HARMED of A. a n College

that has ever damaged their crops. Dozens Of farm
es have assured the writer that this is the wOrs
pest they have ever known. First reports of tn
worms came from along the Gulf Coast. Since the
they have spread over most of the counties of Soutl
Mississippi, the Delta. and to some extent to all sec
tions of the State. Certain districts have not beer
damaged at all while in other places hundreds o
acres of corn, grass and other crops have beeu TOTALLY
destroyed. In some instances fields have been re
planted three times and the crops entirely DESTROYED
by these pests.
About June 18th we found that the parasites an(
other enemies of the worms were destroying many o
them in the Southern counties. In some sections O
South Mississippi the worms have apparently disap
peared. 1t is to be hoped that their enemies now
have the worms in control so that they will not ap
pear in injurious Numbers again this year. We are
also hopeful that these enemies of the worms will
follow them to other sections and soon have them
under control.
METHODS OF FIGHTING.
MOVING CROPS Where the worms appear in
fields of Johnson grass, alfalfa or other hay crops, in
large numbers, the moving machine should be used.
at once. If the hay is cut it soon becomes dry and
distasteful to the worms. In this way many farm
ers saved their hay crops in the prairie section of the
State in August, 1907.
Poisoning is rather unsatisfactory for
these worms unless it is done while they ARE very
small. Corn, especially, should be watched carefully
and if small white spots are seen on the leaves it is
quite likely that the little worms will be found eat
lug on one side Of the leaf. The small worms are
white and are only found by careful searching.
Where they can be found in numbers it will pay
to poison them at once. They can be very readily
poisoned while young but it seems to take cOnsidera-
bic poison to kill them after they are nearly grown.
Poisoning is therefore of somewhat doubtful value
when the worms have reached au inch in length.
Arsenate of lead and paris green are the poisons that
Mill ns"n 4h4 ruoa% ~z-IA-
pumps are available a liquid spray is best. This
can be made of one pound of the paste arsenate of
lead to twenty-five gallons of water, or one pound of
paris green and two pounds of lime to 100 gibbons of
water. Dissolving a pound of laundry soap to each
% gallons will make the poison stick to the leaves
much better.
DRY PoTsoNING-If spray pumps are not avail.
able the dry poisons will do about as we'll. These
can be applied by dust guns or by thelpole and sack
method. Powdered arsenate of lead may be applied
pure. Paris green should be mixed with lime or
floor SO as to get it more evenly distributed over the
plants. 1t is best to mix one pound of Paris green
with 10 Or 20 pounds of lime or flour. If the paris
green could be distributed evenly over the plants so
as not to get it too thick it is very likely to burn the
foliage. Some plants can stand much more than
cotton. The powder will stick better if applied in
morning while the dew is on the plants, 4 Appliea-
tions must be repeated frequently during rSsihy spells.
R~oLLING-Many of the worms can be killed
by rolling the fields with a heavy roller, where the
roller can be applied.
PLOwING FURRows-In cases where the worms
appear to be confined to certain fields and 1T is de
sirable to keep them from spreading into adjacent
fields, deep burrows or bitches may be plowed around
the fields with the vertical side away from the
worms. AS they congregate in these bitches they
can be killed by dragging logs through the burrows.
II the bitches can be partially filled with water or
are filled by rains, a small quantity of kerosene or
other Oil should be added to form a thin scum over
the top. This will prove fatal to the wormt. Some.
times several burrows can be plowed around a field
so that the worms that manage to cross the first may
get caught in the others.
HAND PICKING-Wc have seen a number of
small fields of cotton, corn, and cane that were saved
by simply going over them every day or two and
picking off and destroying all worms. Where there
are children to do this, it will undoubtedly pay on
u small farm. Time may be saved by carrying a
large open vessel with a small amount of oil and
water in it. The worms are shaken from the plants
into this vessel and the oil will kill them.
LIVE STooK-Where large numbers of cattle or
other live stock are present, they may be turned
into banly infected fields and by eating and tramp.
ing will Kill many of the worms. We know of in
stances where this has recently been used in this
state. Where poultry can be turned into gardens
or other small arels they eat the worms very greedily.
JARRING-We have found a number of farmers
VINO nave fastened pieces of brush to the harness or
slngletree while cultivating the crops so that the
worms could be knocked off and covered. This does
some good but probably most of the worms get back
to the plant.
POISONING DlTcHBANKs, TERRCEs AND FENCE
Rows-As the moths of the insects prefer grass in
which to deposit their eggs, the worms are often
discovered in such places. If crops are planted
nearby it is absolutely necessary that the worms be
destroyed. Any method that will kill them can be
used but poisoning such strips is usually the most
practical method of doing it. If a strip OF grass sen.
arates an infected field from one that is not infected.
the strip should be poisoned. Care must be taken
to keep stock away from the poison.
THROWING DUST OR WooDAsHEs ON THE
PLANTs-This method has never been tested so far