The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1912-08-07
HOW TO TREAT
FALL ARMY WORM
Clemson College Bureau of EntOmo-
logy Publishes Bulletin on Treat
ment of Pest,


ment of Pest.
The Division of Entomology of
Clemson College has sent out the fol-
lowing bulletin, in an attempt to aid
the farmers Of the state in putting
down the fall army worm, which is
now prevalent in some counties in
this section:
The following bulletin attempts to
handle only the important points in
connection with the damage of the
pest, and it's control. Any further in
formation desired will be cheerfully
supplied upon request to the Division
of Entomology, Clemson College, S. C.
There is in this state and several
other southern states, an invasion of
the Fall Army Worm on corn. grass
and cotton. This caterpillar is about
to 1-2 inches long when grown. 1t
is quite different from the cotton cater
pillar although many farmers mistake
one for the other. This insect which
is now in this State is not the cotton
caterpillar which did so much injury
to cotton last summer, but is the Fall
Army Worm which is sometimes call
ed the Grass Worm.
1t is we'll to impress the fact that
the insect about which there is so
much current excitement is not the
same as the cotton leaf worm or cat
erpillar which was present in the cot
ton fields last fall. There are at
present so far as specimens sent in
and Investigations made by this divi-
sion show, no cotton caterpillars in
this state, though they are doing dam
age in lower Alabama and Georgia.
The cotton caterpillar is injurious on
ly to cotton; the grass worm does
damage more general in characterize
grass, corn, peas, cotton, etc This
latter insect is doing considerable
damage over almost the entire South;
so this state is not alone sustaining
the effects of it's ravages.
The preferred food of the fall army
or grass worm is grass, such as crab
grass, bermuda, water grass, etc. The
pest is present every year, but unno-
| ticed The wealth of grass due to
lack of proper culture last fall and
spring has given it this year unex-
celled opportunities for breeding. The
almost total absence of it's natural
enemies also promotes the marked in
crease in numbers this season over
previous seasons of recent years. They
have reached such enormty of num-
bers that there has been shortage
of the preferred food and the pest
has been forced to migrate to the ad-
joining corn and cotton fields to make
its living there and to carry on it's de
structive damage in so doing. The
worm begins IFS work in bottom lands
and at first appears in the grass. Here
1T can be most easily controlled, by
dccD turning of the grass and worm
Gr borough! spraying or dGstins IF
these acres with arsenate cf lead ac-
cording to directions given below
The third generation of worms is
now entering the ground to change in
to moths. These deposit eggs, which
Matching in a very short time, will
produce another generation of worms.
1t is well to bear this fact in mind for
the apparent cessation of injury is
due to this cause.
On the first appearance of the worm
the farmer should dust the infested
acreas with powdered arsenate of
lead, undiluted, using three pounds of
poison to the acre. 1t is best to make
/ the application when the leaves are
moist with dew, as is generally the
| case early in the morning Arsenate
Of lead paste may be used in the form
of a spray the strength of two to
three pounds Of arsenate to fifty gal
Ions Of water, with the addition of
three pounds of unslaked lime. Paris
green also will poison the wrms but
1t Is not safe to use since even If ex-
treme care is exercised in the dilution
and application of it, serious damage
of foliage from burning often results,
sometimes not becoming apparent un-
til three or four weeks afterwards.
Powdered arsenate of lead is about
as cheap. sticks to the leaf better, and
can be used undiluted without burn
ing the foliage. 1t would be no mis-
take, even in the case of this how
ever, to add a small! quantity of air