The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-08-04
WORST STAGE OF
 ARMY WORM OVER
Connecticut Agricultural Dept. Reports Parasite Is Raw
 aging Worm.

The army worm Helfophila. neuca.- nia3 unfpuncta Flaw. is-now dnturing lawns, fields and cultivated crops in various parts of Connecticut So far, 1t has beens reported from several places in New Haven, Orange, East Haven. North Haven, HAmden, Ches- hire Bridgeport, New Canaan, Hart ford Colchester, Willimantic, Colun- bia, Sprague, N7ew London and Gro- ton. This is the first outbreak since 1896 and seems to be general, as the newspapers mention the occurrence of the insect also in Rhode Island, New York. and PennsyIvania
 N TNUURY. The caterpiIlars feed upon grasses and grain, and often attack corn and vegetables. They eat the leaves or blades, leaving the stems. In fields Of oats, rye or other grain they eat off the heads which fall to the ground. They usually feed upon native grasses and it is only when they are extremely abundant that they attack and injure cultivated crops.
 ARPEARArC@ The caterpillars are brown. often with erayish, greenish, or reddish tint marked longi- tudina11y with fine white Tor yellow lines. and about one and one-ha1f inches long when full grown. They are found under rubbish, cur1ed up Like cut worms to which they are closely related. When abundant they: soon devastate field of grass or grain, then march to the next field hence the name army worIn-'' In the chrysahs stage the insect is reddish brown naked pupa. The moth is light brown and has a wing-spread of about one and one-hah Inches.
 LITE HISTORY. There are two or three broods each year. this being the first brood of caterpillars. The eggs are laid on the leaves of the grass. each female laying upwards of 700 eggs The insect usually passes the winter as a partly grown caterpillar CONTROL METHODS In small in festatons on lawns, the caterpdl1ars may often be crushed by a heavy roller or maui, or eaten by poultry. On larger areas the grass should be poisoned by spraying 1t with lead ar
 senate. six pounds in 50 gallons of water. Strips of grass, grain or corn may also be poisoned in this manner
 to protect large fields. A deep fur row should be plowed across the line of march, with the perpendicular side opposite the approaching caterpfllars Deep holes should be dug in the bot tom of the furrow ten or fifteen feet apart The caterpillars will attempt 1 to cross, but finding 1t difficult to 1 climb the bank will crawl along the
 furrow and eongregate in the holes | where 3. sprinkling of kerosene will T.
 field be attacked, this may be treated like a larger field. thus saving the Remainder of the crop. In some cases the caterpiIlars may be fed with a
 poisoned bran mash, containing four pounds of dry lead arsenate or Paris
 green and three quarts Of cheap mo-
 1asses per 100 pounds of bran.
 FUTURE PROSPECTS, The cater pillars are now about full grown and have begun to transform in the ground. They win not do much more damage this year. Many kinds of birds devour the caterpil1ars. In near ly all cases we find the caterpilIars highly parasitized by a two-winged Tachinid fly A wilt. disease is also killing them in some localities. It is
 probable therefore that the damage from further broods this season vssI be slight. The army worm rarely
 causes damage in the same locality for two consecutive seasons.