The Dermott news., 1915-08-19
ARMY WORM MAY
VISIT THIS STATE
Farmers Should Be Prepared TO Meet
Invasion by This Pest With Pots'
ored Bat of Arsenate of Lead.

Those of us who have had trouble
in 1912 with the grass worm will take
warning in the fact that this insect
is busy this year in Texas and Is very
likely to work its way northward
The ravagcs of this insect are l#=yely
to be averted through INTENSITY ulti
walton and the use OF arsenate Of lead
and poisoned bait
The full grown grass worm or fall
army worm. as it is often called, IL
about one and a half inches long II
ia of a pale yellowish brown or black
color. being notified and streaked
with yellow on each side OF the alb
domen there is broad waving band
of yellow, mottl.d more or less with
reddish On its head there is a vel
low inverted y
Feeds on Corn and Sorghum
Tho grass worm is essentially a
grass pest. feeding upon orr various
Wild grasses and upon our tame
Johnson grass, Sudan grass. millets,
etc. Ii is also very fond OF alfalfa,
and will feed upon cotton when
grasses are not readily available
Particular care must be taken to
keep the late corn and cane we'll cul-
t!vatpd II might be said in this con
nection that many fields of corn were
lost in 1912 on account of poor cult
walton. The worms will feed upon
crab grass which is allowed To grow
UP in field, and will later turn their
attention TO the main crop Aside
from this. the Importance of eultiya
ton Will become apparent when it Is
known that the worms enter the
ground for the purpose of transform
ing to the pupp stage. by cultivat-
ing. fifty to ninety per cent Of the
worms in the ground can be killed.
thus preventing heavy emergence OF
moths which would otherwise deposit
eggs for a larger generation
Use Arsenste Of Lead.
Where the worms have made their
appearance in corn field il is ad
visahle to dust with arSenate of lead
a the rate OF three to five pounds per
acre. the latter being mixed first with
two or three times its weight of cheap
flour The material is applied in the
same way that cotton is busted for
the army worm
Where corn is to he used as fodder.
busting with arsenate of lead would
be attended with danger In such an
event poison bait can be scattered
broadcast on the ground where the
worms are AT work. This might BE-
applied at the rate OF seven pounds
per acre
Poisoned Bait
Poisoned bait can be made "a fol.
lows Mix one hundred pounds OF
wheat bran with TWO TO three pounds
OF Paris green. and after the poison
Las been uniformly worked into tha
bran. work The matter into Thick
cough with three to four gallons of
molasses. 10 which has previously been
added the juice of six lemons or or.
anEcs This material viii then be
ready 10 apply
Alfalfa fields which are infested
should be immediately cut where this
practice can hc rcSortod To without
injury To the plants. After the hay
has been removed, one may apply
poisoned bait, or else the worms may
be- killed hy taking number of folds
~ chicken VIE. weightng this down
with a section harrow and dragging
K over the infested field
Where fields are threatened by mi
cratin, worms they should be- sur.
rounded 10y deep turrow Worms
which fall into this furrow can be
kIlled by dragging los back and
forth rs long As the migrating is tax,
ing place George J Baker. Professor
OF Entomology. Arkansas College of