The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1912-08-01
The Fall Army Worm.

Inc FaII army NOrH-
The army worm that is now at
tracing attention in this State and
parts of South Carolina is probably
known as the fall army worm as this
name distinguishes it from the ordi-
nary army worm of the Northern
States which appears earlier in the
season.
The fall army worm Is also entirely
different from the cotton leaf cater
pillar which defoilated cotton all
through the Southern States last fall.
So much to get our information
straight"
This fall army worm is a cater
pillar and when grown will go under
ground and transform to flying
moth or miller, emerging after about
ten days.
The caterpillars usually hatch out
most abundantly in low grasslands,
and as they grow they devour more
and more Of this vegetation and
spread over wider areas. Corn on
low lands is subject to severe dam
grasses and grains they will also feed
on peas, garden crops, etc, if their
preferred food is lacking. They are
hungry, eat ravenously and grow
rapidly, which accounts for their
seemingly sudden appearance. They
usually disappear quite as suddenly
as they come-and this disappear
ance may be due to their becoming
mature and changing to the moth
or in some cases it is due to the good
work of parasite insects and diseases,
predaceous insects and birds which
feed upon them. Or both these fac
tors together may cause they to dis
appear.
What Can Be Done?
Watch for them in the low grass
lands 50 as to detect them before they
attack cultivated crops. When found
use Paris green in water at rate of
one-half pound to the barrel, keep it
thoroughly stirred and spray or sprin-
kle 1t on the grass not only where
they are, but Immediately surround
ing. If they are in the corn do the
sane-always taking care to poison
a little ahead of the worms. OF
course stock must not be allowed to
eat this poisoned grass or corn, at
least not until after one or more
heavy rains have fallen. If you can
not spray or sprinkle, then mix Paris
green with dry lime or land-plaster at
rate Of / ounce to the pound and dust
it from a sack or tight can which is
punched with fine holes like a pepper
! castor.
What else? A drag or roller drawn
over the infested grass lands will
crush many of them, though it is by
no means a perfect remedy, especial
| ly if the ground is rough.
/ Anything more? If they are NOV
ing-crawling along in "army-fash-
iona deep furrow plowed ahead OF
them will cause them to accumulate
in the bottom and a log dragged
lengthwise in this furrow will crush
them.
When these worms appear in the
numbers that they sometimes do, and
do the full extent of damage they are
capable of, it is well worth while to
put every hand on the place to work
with them for a day or two. For
tunately the duration of their attack
is short.
This is not new pest, it is ma
tive, the moths are plentiful every
year, but it is only in occasional years
that the season favors their appear
ance in such numbers.
One thing more. Last winter was
unusually cold. Many persons rea-
soned that insect pests would be
scarce this season, but complaints al
this Office have been far above norm
al, both in number and variety. There
are only a very few (if any OF the
insect pests of this State that are no.
ticeably reduced in number by such
winters as we ever experience.
warned farmers against that mistak'
en- idea at many Farmers Institutes
last winter.
FRANK SHERMAN, JR,
Entomologist, State Department OF
Agriculture, Raleigh, N. c.