Fergus County Democrat., 1915-04-29

make the examination, for the worms
are then above ground, moving about
and feeding. During warm, fair wealth
er they disappear into the ground In
the early morning and are not to be
seen unless we dig into the soil around
the roots of the wheat, says ]. r. Park
er, Of the Montana Experiment Station.
in. the Montana Farmer.
During cloudy or rainy weather the
worms feed and move about more or !
less during the day and there is no
general movement in the late after
noon and early evening as occurs dur /
ing fair weather. Most frequently the
worms will be found invading the /
wheat fields around the edges and
bare spots from which they have eaten
the wheat and will be found extending
into the grown crop that remains.
Right on the edge of the uninjured
wheat field the worms will be found in
greatest numbers. The immediate
problem is to stop their advance. To
do this plow deep furrow with the
verticle side towards the grain to be
protected and about ten feet ahead of
where the wheat loss has been de-
stroyed. Plow similar furrow thirty
or forty feet further into the unin-
jured wheat.
These will act as barriers to slow
down the advance of the worms, but in
themselves are effective for only a
short time. With them should be used
the poison bran mash which has pre-
viously been recommended in many Of
the state papers. This is prepared as
follows: 25 pounds Of coarse bran, l
pound of Paris green and half pound
80 ri v~n$v 1,rHtN IN
whole mixture shows greenish tinge.
One pint Of cheap molasses is then
mixed in pail of water and is added
to the dry material The finished
product should be a coarse. crumbly
flakes when scattered from the hand.
This should be scattered lightly
along the burrows that have been
plowed. The worms advancing across
the burrows are thus brought in con-
tact with the poison and will almost
always feed upon it and be killed. In
addition the poison bran mash should
be scattered broadcast between the
burrows and over a 30-foot strip ex-
tending from the first furrow into the
area where the wheat has already been
destroyed.
Scatter at the rate of Is or 20
pounds of the prepared mixture to the
acre. 1t should be remembered that
this dope is effective only when moist
and after a warm day, fresh poison
should be scattered in the burrows if
living worms are still present. The
material should be put on in the late
afternoon or early evening.
If an entire field is invaded and the
worms are widely scattered. broadcast
ing the poison bran mash over the
whole field will be the most effective
means OF control This may seem a
big undertaking, but the materials will
cost only about 25 cents per acre and
the labor is not so much as might be
expected. Such treatment is not an
experiment, but is sure to kill thou
sands of worms and thus save much of
the crop.
Mr.. Buell. of Bozeman applied some
of the mixture upon his wheat Tues
day evening and Wednesday dead
worms could be seen all over the
treated ground. The full effectiveness
Of the remedy cannot be judged en-
tirely by the number of dead and
dying worms that are to be found upon
the treated ground. Many worms that
take only q little of the poison will
crawl hundreds Of feet and may live
several days before they die. The
main point Is that they stop feeding
1t Is expected that this pest will con.
tinue in the worm stage until about
the middle of May, when it will trans.
form into resting stage, known as
the pupa. In July, August and Sep
tember night-hying moths emerge from
the pupa. They lay eggs upon green
vegetation and upon sod and from
these eggs come more cutworms. Par
asites and natural checks generally sc
reduce the worms that bad outbreaks
seldom occur year after year.
In 1908 bad outbreak occurred In
the Bitter Root valley. In 1907 and
again in 1910 much injury was caused
by this pest in the Gallatin valley
The present outbreak is worse thar
any previous and extends in scattered
localities all over the state. In some
sections near Three Forks fully 5,00(
acres have already been destroyed ant
will have to be re-seeded.
This pest is not the typical "arm,
worm" Of the east, but is an ordinary
cutworm which adopts the "army'
habit and for that reason is called tn,
army cutworm."
News that the wheat fields Of Mon
tana were being devastated by tn,
army cutworm was first received at tn,
experiment station at Bozeman abou
Is days ago. From q number Of citie
in the eastern part of the state, in
Guiding Hardin and Glendive, and IL
the northern part Of Montana. from
Havre and from the western part o
the state. came word that great dam
age was being DONE
Among the most serious obstacle
one has to meet is the fact that farm
ers believe the remedy prescribed t
kill the worms will not have the de
sired effect This is not true. I hav
frequently supervised the spreading Q
the poisoned bran mash, in order I
show that the worms die from eatin
It. There is no doubt. that II farmer
whose fields have been visited by tn
cutworm will begin in time; the crop
may be saved.
In one instance I spread the poiso