The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1914-07-24
KILLING A NUISANCE.


KILLING A NUISANCE.
Letters, telephone messages. and
individual callers have been solicit
i1s aid from the United States de-
rartment OF agriculture TO stop the
advance Of the hordes Of army worms
that threaten their fields OF wheat,
oats, corn. timothy, blue grass. and
other grasses. There seems 10 be
a general outbreak of the pest
throughout the north, east OF the
Rocky mountains. These worms are
emerging from eggs laid by moths
that apparently swarmed up from
the southwest. Great numbers Of
these moths have been noticed In
the vicinity OF Washington during
the past month. hundreds of their
broken wings having been seen near
the Union station. Lawns In the
capital are being over run by this
pest.
The army worm Is a smooth.
striped caterpillar about an inch and
quarter long and quarter OF an
inch IN diameter II is rather dark
in appearance. While normally II
feeds by night and hides by day,
not being generally noticed. as soon
as II. has increased to such a mum
Der that It's food supply falls short.
II starts TO travel and becoming
holder. feeds both night and day.
The moth from which this worm
matches in brown with a white spot
On the center OF each fore wing.
II measures about an inch and one
half from wing to wing.
IN the worms have not yet at
tacked a field the most practical
way to keep them out is to plow
furrows in front OF them. throwing
the furrow in the direction toward
which they are travelling. The
worms win fan into the furrow
and when this. is full they may
be killed either by dragging a log
back and forth In the furrow or
BY destroying the worms in holes
previously dug at intervals OF twenty
feet In the bottom or the furrow.
Kerosene poured on them in the
holes viii destroy them. II the
worms are already in the field the
following mixture which will attract
the worms and destroy them should
be spread about: one pound of
Paris green, fifty pounds of wheat
bran, Juice OF one-half dozen or.
anges.
Bring this mixture TO a stiff dough
by the use OF dilute molasses and
scatter II amongst the worms. Care
should be taken TO keep this dough
from children or domestic animals.
Prompt action to prevent the worms
from investing a field Is much bet.
ter then later efforts to attempt
TO kill them in the grain. Once
the caterpillars have infested a field,
the measures necessary to destroy
them may seriously hurt or even de-
stroy the crop. The worms at first are
almost always localized In some de-
finite breeding place in the field and
immediate efforts should be taken
70 CtbuiCdhC tuCm HI tuCSc btlfdtt
areas before they have had time
to spread. The normal breeding
place OF the army worm Is In rank
grass. such as Is usually found along
the edges Of swanaps or in spots
Of pasture land that have been over
fsftllized. They are practically never
found in swamps,, because the worm
needs a reasonably dry place in
which to breed.
Clean cultivation, rotation OF crops,
cleaning up OF fence corners, close
pssturage. and the burning over OF
waste grass land in the spring or
fall, are good measures to prevent
recurrence OF the army worm.
For small areas like lawns and
private grounds. the poison bait men,
Toned above may be used. Equally
efficient is the application Of a spray
OF one pound. arsenate of lead dis
solved In twenty-five gallons OF water.
II The powdered arsenate Of lead
is more easily obtainable. one pound
OF this may be mixed with eight
pounds OF -four and busted on the
grass where the worms are feed
ing. II must be remembered that
arsehate on lead Is deadly poison
to men and animals, as wen as
to amy worms