The Van Buren press., 1912-08-03
PEST IS A MENACE
TO THE PLANTERS
Expert Makes Trip Over St,.
And Sees Damage Done
BY Worms.
METHOD OF EXTERMINArlo.
Farmers Must Act Quickly TO g,
Great Loss-AgriculturaI DE-.
partment Advising.

Little ROck.-The Arkansas farm.
is threatened by a new insect NJ,
this year and only hard work nm
| prevent great damage being dona !,
the cotton and corn crop, accorai,.
to experts connected with the agrior
tural experiment station of the N,
yersity of Arkansas. The enw No.
; is the rail- army worm or the e,,,,
worm, as it is most commonly know,
G. c. Becker, acting entomoloeist :,
/ the agricultural experiment station 4,
the state university, who has n,,
completed a tour of part Of the st.,'
for the purpose of studying the n
sect and making recommendation 4,
to how it may be successfully conb,
ted, declares that the worm has .,
peared, apparently, in almost eye,
part of the state and has ALREADY h
| flicted great damage. He states tb,,
further loss can be prevented, to I
large extent, by the exercise Of ee,
tain measures by the farmers, but \.
asserts that unless these precautioD,
are taken iae5timable damage will h
done
The fall army worm has been knov,
| to exist in the South for more tbsD
| 100 years, but it is only occasional,
| that il becomes a menace to the farm.
ers Of the country. There has bee,
no official record Of any serious dam
age from the pest in Arkansas befon
the present year. Complaints had been
received at the agricultural exper,
ment station from points In variou
parts of the state Of the damage In
flicted by the worm this year and n
order to determine how serious ths
damage has been and to determine
what means could best be adopted to
destroy the pest Prof. Becker has
made a trip over a part Of the stan
Prof. Parker states that he bel!eys
the worm IS at work in practically all
Of the low lands Of the state but that
it has not appeared, so far as is knovl
in the higher lands. The worm hs
preyed mostly upon the corn but ha
also damaged cotton to a considerabb
extent in certain parts of the state
The worm only eats the cotton STALK
however, when 1t has no other yeges
tion upon which to feed, according b
Prof, Becker, and for this reason tAs
damage to the cotton has not been
extensive.
ITO much stress cannot be laid upOl
the importance Of clean culture b
| declared. 81 found that whereya
there was the greatest infestation "
cause could be traced generally y
the poor culture. Where grass Is n
lowed to grow in a cotton field, Il
male moth will be attracted and will
| deposit eggs. After Matching, The
young worms will eat the grass and
when this Is gone they will 20 to tho
cotton. The same thing Is true to
larger extent Of corn for corn forms
a more natural food for the worms
than does cotton!
As TO the methods that should b.
adopted to destroy the pest, Prot
Becker, said:
"Arsenate Of lead powder should 10
applied to the cotton field In dust
Ing this on the plants, It should be aP
piled undiluted at the rate Of iIN
pounds to the acre. Care should b.
taken to get the powder on so that
the poison gets in on the stalks and
branches OF the plant, Paris green
| should never be used whore IL Is pos
slble to get arsenate Of lead, as tho
former Is apt to burn the foliage
Where the planter cannot get arse
nate Of lead he should use paris green,
diluted with equal parts Of flour and
! lime Since flour does not correct Tho
burning property Of paris green, II IS
well always to add the lime The paris
greenllmofour mixture should be ap
piled five pounds to the acre.
"As far as possible" he says, avoid
giving the moths favorable place %
breed, such M unused grass lands, "
| Erhssos, cereals, etc, 70 the crop
which are most affected, Il Is advls
able not TO plant wheat, corn or any
oihor cereal IN pasture lands, unless .
crop not 80 subject TO infestatlon ID
teryono5, This fall the planters
should 70 over all infested lands ana
bufn thom over, After this thG
should plow such lands very thorough
w. burning and plowIng for this pea
may be done in the early spring pW
II must be early, The object here
70 burn and bury the wlnterIng pup@
before they emerge In the spring
mOtha,"
Ut Ia up TO the farmer TO get busy
Prot Becker said, "Tho grass worm
mas appeared generally Throughout
tbo state, II Ia apparent from rcporp
winch We have received, and the ony
way In which It can bo oytormlna'~
IN through energetic action on 'N
part OF the farmers, II all the iafm
ors VINO arc suffering from The pee'
VIII act Ot once and follow tho W
e'rOellons which We are gl,lng Wv
pest can be controlled and little daw
age VIII be done, II IN just a luesuoa
OF getting the farmers to act Sd "
net quickly"
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