The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1915-08-13
FARMERS E. BEWARE 4
OF The ARMY WORM
Works Havoc on Corn And AL
c falfa Take Precau.
e ton.


his northward march. Starting in
Texas, the host has gotten as far as
Louisiana, and may be expected to
reach Kentucky in August unless dis
aster is met south of the states bor-
der.
Invasion of this soil by the fall
army worm has been frequent in
the past, yet consecutive years have
passed when he has not appeared at
all, according to experiment station
records. DR.. II. Garman, cntomolo-
gist and botanist recalled yesterday
that the unwelcome visitor caused
lamentation in several sections of
thes tate last year.
Numerous insects Indigenous to
the South frequently get as far up
as Kentucky. Almost every year
DR.. Garman has observed the adult
cotton moth. which feeds on the
leaves of the cotton plant. How
ever, this visitor is not to be
dreaded. 1t feeds only on cotton,
consequently. dies OF hunger in this
latitude. With the army worm it is
different.
1t seems that the worms natural
enemies are not sufficiently abund-
ant in Texas this year TO keep it
down. There is little doubt there
fore, that il will continue to work
its way northward, doing more and
more damage as it advances. The
line of its probable march being
fairly well known, however. farmers
who act in time may do much to
protect their crops, especially alfal-
ia. corn, and the sorghums. TT
When they first appear the worms
are, yerx. small aud fed beneath
matted grass, etc. II the ground
between the corn rows is grassy, the
worms may-esiginate and feed
there until partly grown. Thus, in
the eariy'sstagss. the worms are
very difficult to. detect and unless
the farmer keeps a Sharp eye on his
fields he is likely to find his corn
and sorghum suddenly attacked by
myriad of tAe-worms which have
grown rapidly toward, maturity and
from their, hiding places.
When this happens, corn will. be
stripped to. bare stalks and, alfalfa
to bare stems.
The fall army worm. when very
young, is..-nearly black 1t grows
rapidly. ultimately obtaining a
length of about / " inches. At this
stage the, body, is striped on
ground varying in color from a
pale yellowish brown to black, more
or less streaked and intermixed. with
dull yellow, On each side there is a
broad, yellow. undulating line, more-.
or less strongly notified with red. 1t
closely resembles the common army
worm and owes its name to the fact
that, originating in the extreme
South, it makes its way northward
as the season advances, attacking
fresh vegetation of almost every sort
that it encounters on its way.
Ordinarily there are from three
to four or even five generations of
the fall army worm in the course
Of year. The worms. when full
grown, descend an inch or two into
he ground in order to pass into the
pupal state preparatory to emerging
rs the, adult moths which lay eggs
'or the next generation of worms.
This habit of descending into the
ground to enter pupation is of great
in the control of the
pest, Shallow cultivation will de-
'troy from fifty to ninety per cent of
he insects pupating at any time,
he efficiency of the measure de-
upon the. thoroughness
With which the work is done. In
llfalfa the use of the spiked tooth
narrow or the alfalfa cultivator is
,est unless IL is known that disking /,
S not injurious to the plants. Gull
ivation of the ground between the
'ows of corn has been found to de-
troy nearly all the pupae., there
~ preventing the development of
mother generation. Ea sEraa
When fields are Threatened with
nvasions.' but have not as yet be-
ONE actually infested. a deep fur
ow should be plowed out around ,
he--entire- circumference of the
ield. into this furr0w the advanc-
ng worms win fall. They may then
'eo killed by dragging a Heavy log /
Trough '1hel furrow; Dr. In sections (.
where irrigation ID ~ possible r. the /
Urrow may be filled with water and r
small quantity Of kerosene sprinkl- :
d. over the surface This will kill +