The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1918-07-27
TO OFFSET DAMAGE
OF CATERPILLAR To
THE CASTOR BEAN

Gainesville, July 2s.-tspecial)-l
Reports having heen made to the
effect that caterpillars are injuring
the castor bean plants at several
points in the state. Mr.. T;lmon Ne
well, plant commissioner. located at
Gainesville, has issued the following
information regarding the measures to
be taken to offset damage by the
pests.
Castor bean plants may be attack
ed by any one of several kinds of cut
worms or army worms. Among the
most common pests OF this character
is the southern grass worm and it is
probably this species that is RESPONSE
BILE for most OF the damage AT this
season.
The method to be used in combat
ing them must depend to some extent
upon circumstances. means available
and upon the ingenuity Of the farmer.
Poisons have their proper place in this
work, but as often as otherwise other
steps are equally as affective. For ex-
ample. 1t often happens that the
worms move In more or less concen-
trated ranks or armies through grass
lands, feeding upon the grass and
weeds as they 60. II such an army is
detected before it reaches the castor
bean field II can be destroyed in sew
eral different ways. One effective
method is to spray or sprinkle th9
grass and weeds just in front of the
advancing line of worms with Paris
green. Thereafter stock must be kept
off the poisoned area until after sew
eral hard rains. Where the worms are
advancing over fairly level. and hard,
land. nothing is more effective than
heavy land roller. or plank clod-
crusher well weighted, run back and
forth over the worms by horsepower.
This treatment brushes them readily
under such conditions. Where the
land is sandy an effective measure
consists OF piowing a deep furrow,
with dusty. sloping sides. in advance
of the worms. When they fall into
this they have difficulty in getting
out and can be killed in the furrow
by dragging a log back and forth in
1t or by spraying the mass of worms
with kerosene. This plan does not
work well in rainy weather as a dry
furrow is necessary.
"oftentirnes the attack of the cat
erpillsrs is noticed while they are still
on the grass in the rows of beans.
but before they have gotten up on
the bean plants themselves. The
grass should he sprayed ar once with
Paris green solution, or busted with
Paris green.
Where the worms have gotten onto
the bean plants or where they are
generally distributed through the bean
field, recourse must be had TO direct
application OF poison. For this pur-
pose powdered arsenate of lead is best.
II should be busted onto the plants
at the rate of ; to pounds per acre,
depending on the size of the plants. II
can be used either with or without be-
ing mixed with other substances, such
as air. slaked lime or ven fine road
dust. BY mixing IL with lime or dust
an evener distribution is secured and
there is less chance of using an I'M
necessarily large amount. The poison
can be distributed either with a dust
sprayer. Of which there are several
kinds on the market, or by placing the
poison in muslin sacks suspended
from each end of pole, the latter
being carried through the field on
horseback and the pole shaken suf-
ficiently to cause the sacks to dis
tribute the poison in fine dust which
settles over the plants.
"Only as a last resort should Paris
green be used for direct application
the castor bean plants. Owing to the
newness Of this crop in Florida expert
ments have not been made to deter
mine to what extent It is susceptible
to injury by Paris green. 1t is like
~ that more than one-half pound per
acre Of Paris green would result in
some injury TO the plants. with pow
dered lead arsenate this danger does
not exist as the latter poison contains
practically no wAter-soluble arsenic