The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1912-07-20
(By W. Harned.l


acres of corn, grass and other crops {
have been totally destroyed. In some I
instances fields have been replanted
three times, and the crop entirely de- {
stroyed by these pests. Il
About June 18th we found that the
parasites and other enemies of the
worms were destroying many of them
in the Southern counties. We are
very glad to be able to report now
/ that in some sections of South Missis-
sippi the worms have apparently dis
appeared. It is to be hoped that their
enemies now have the worms in con-
troll so that they will not appear in
injurious numbers again this year.
We are also hopeful that these enem-
les of the worms will follow them to
other sections and soon have them un-
der control.
Methods of Fighting.
Moving Crops.-Where the worms
appear in fields of Johnson grass, al
falfa, or other hay crops, in large num-
bers, the moving machines should be
used at once. If the hay is cut it soon
becomes dry and distasteful to the
worms. In this way many farmers
saved their hay crops in the prairie
! section of the state in August, 1907.
Poisoning is rather I'M
satisfactory for these worms unless it
is done while they are small. Corn,
especially, should be watched care
fully and if small white spots are
seen on the leaves, it is quite likely
that the little worms will be found eat
ing 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
1t seems to take considerable poison
to kill them after they are nearly
grown. Poisioing is therefore o.
somewhat doubtful value when the
worms have reached an inch in length
Arsenate of lead and Paris green are
the poisons that will give the most
satisfactory results. If spray 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 o
~ Paris green and two pounds of lime
q, to one hundred gallons of water. Dis
solving a pound of ordinary laundr.
soap to each twenty-five gallons viii
make the poison stick to the leave
much better.
Dry Poisoning-If spray pumps ar
not available the dry poisons will d
about as we'll. These can be apple
by dust guns or by the pole and sac
method Powdered arsenate of lea
may be applied pure. Paris gree
should be mixed with lime or flour S
as to get it more evenly distribute
over the plants. 1t is best TO mi
one pound of Paris green with hftee
or twenty pounds of lime or -four
the Paris green could be distribute
evenly over the plants so as not
get it too thick it would not be nece
sary to mix it with anything els
but if too thick it is very likely
burn the foliage. Some plants ca
stand much more than others. Cor
is damaged more easily that cotto
The powders will stick better if a
piled in the morning while the dew
~, "a on the plants. Applications must
repeated frequently during rail-
,ep spells.
Rolling.-Many of the worms cen
killed by rolling the fields with
heavy roller, where the roller can
applied.
Flowing Furrows.-In cases whe
the worms appear to be confined
keep from spreading into adjace
fields, deep burrows or bitches may
plowed around the fields with the v,
tical side from the worms. AS tn
congregate in these bitches they C
be killed by dragging logs through t
burrows. If the bitches can be parti
ly filled with water or are filed
rains, small quantity Of kerosene
other oil should be added to form
thin scum over the top. This "
prove fatal to the worms. Somctin
several burrows can be plowcd arou
a field so that the worms that mana
to cross the first may get caught
the others.
m Hand-picking.--We have seen , nu
h I Der of small fields of cotton. corn. a
cane that we're saved by simply go
''ss over them every day or two and ri
-