The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1914-07-27
RAYMOND w. PULLMAN.
Times Washington Bureau. No 704
Metropolitan Bank Building

Metropolitan Bank Building.
WASHINGTON, July 27-"The
army worms have come and gone.
|, The lawn is ruin
Army Worms ed What shall
and Lawns. do To restore it?'
In these few
words IL is possible TO summarize the
hundreds OF letters which have pour
ed into the United States department
OF agriculture during the past week.
Farmers, as Well as distressed city
householders, have written To Secre-
tary Houston for advice, but the men
" no till the soil and whose crops
have suffered were not quite so fius-
tered and impatient as the thou
sands of persons over all parts of the
eastern United States who have seen
destroyed in a remarkably short time
long stretches OF turf which IN many
cases took years TO develop.
Ten days ago the question asked
was What shall | do with the army
worm2' Now the question is What
Ishall ] do with my lawn?' and the
1 FIRST words OF instruction given TO
anxious people making this inquiry
are contained in letter which says,
I In effect 10 keep cool" Many per
sons IN cities where the army worm
( has made It's attack will think at first
that their lawns are totally destroyed.
when, as matter OF fact. only the
top blades OF grass have been eaten.
The first showers or careful sprink-
Hing il is said. will cause the roots 10
shoot MP new blades In many sections
OF the lawn which the worm left
bare and brown
Ii is known that the damage "a
many lawns have been severe, how
ever and thar Il Will be necessary TO
make over the turf in many in
stances In such extreme eases gov.
EerRmept lawn experts say that II may
prove that the havoc wrought by the
worm has really been q blessing i'm
disguise II will compel fall improve
mert For years householders have
been advised 70 give attention 10 the
lawn in the fall and early winter 20
prepare properly for q beautiful turf
In the spring Few persons heed this
advice. however and as a conse.
queuce lawns which have not been
resecded and fortified in the fall are
hard 10 put in shape after winter S
neglect. An attempt 70 build up a
lawn in a few weeks in the spring
usually Rs not only unsatisfactory. but
costly. because OF the intensive work
/ which has TO be done In q short period
OF time
When the army worm has come and
+! gone" said Russell A. Oakley, one OF
the lawn specialists of the depart.
mcnt OF agriculture. yesterday. 81
4 will be well for the average house
holder 20 wait few weeks and, after
several showers 10 see how much
dPmago has been done. Some per.
sons might went temporary lawn
grass 20 cover the bare places quickly
and for this purpose either the Italian
rye grass or the perennial rye-grass
should be sown now In most cases
however. think that the wiser plan
will he 70 wait until early fall and he:
Ign 10 restore the lawn with the aim
OF developing permanent and
smooth turf Fertilizing and reseed
ing should be carried on In Septem
her II possible, and not later than
learIy December RI the work is done
ttarefully IN the fall every trace OF
the army worms march will be wiped
away after the winter top dressing OF
barnyard manure is removed next