Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1919-06-13
sorer. Do Most Damage BY Their Work in stalk. and Ear.

prepared by the United States Depart
ment of Agriculture.)
The European corn bOrer threatens
the future of Americas greatest crop.
This pest plies his trade with the in
dustry of beaver to the extent that
he is the most dangerous plant pest
that has yet immigrated from foreign
fields to the corn lands Of Uncle Sam.
The larvae. or borers, hungry as half
starved rats. tunnel through all parts
Of the corn plant excepting the roots.
and destroy or severely injure the ears
and stalks. That their diet may have
variety they also attack celery, Swiss
chard, beans, beets. spinach. oats. po-
tatOes. tomatoes. turnips. as well as
dahlias. chrysanthemums, gladiolas,
geraniums. timothy. other grasses and
weeds. Two generations occur each
year, so that multiplication and spread
are rapid. especially as few are de-
stroyed by natural enemies.
Specialists of the United States de-
partment Of agriculture. In Farmers
Bulletin 1O46. describe the danger to
American corn by the presence Of the
European corn borer In eastern Massa-
chusetts. They surmise that the pest
wan introduced in Saw hemp imported
from Europe for use in Massachusetts,
cor1age factories, or possibly In bales
Of broom corn imported by factories
In central New York. There are 50
towns in Massachusetts,. including an
area Of about 800 square miles. infest.
ed with the insect, which has been con-
fined to the limits of Its original infec-
ton except for an outbreak discovered
In January in the vicinity Of Science
tady. N. Y. covering an area Of ap-
proximately 400 square miles.
How the eorer Woriss.
The larvae. or borers, tunnel through
all parts Of the corn plant except the
abrous roots. They cause the most
serious damage by their work In the
stalks and ears, which they partially
or totally destroy. Generally they en-
ter the stalk at its upper end and near
the base Of the tassel. and at flrst tun-
mel upward. This damage 20 weakens
the tassel stalk that Il breaks over b.
fore the tassei matures,< ssDpEting In
loss Of pollen and the lack Of normal
grain formation on the. ears. These
broken tassels, with EXTENSIONS Of saw.
dust-like material ut the breaks, are
the most conspicuous signs of infesta-
ton in the field. Field counts In badly
areas have shown a. many AZ
90 per cent Of the tassels broken over
In this manner. After destroying the
tassel the borers tunnel downward
through the stalk, gradually Increasing
the size Of their tunnels AZ they de-
velOp. Instead of entering the stalk
near the tassel many of the borers en-
ter between the leaf sheath and stalk
at point lower down, and tunnel up
ward or downward according to their
individual preferences. When several
Or many borers are working within the
same stalk 1t soon Is reduced to q mere
shell. This injury cuts OF the supply
Of nutriment from the developing ear
and greatly weakens the stalk, which
eventually breaks over. Some of the
partly grown bOrers leave the stalk
and enter the ears through the husks,
and also through the stem and cob.
Here they feed upon the immature
grain and tunnel through all parts Of
he cob.
Eggs Laid In summer.
In July and august many Of the
moths deposit their eggs directly upon
he newly developed ears Of late corn.
rhe resulting crop Of borers feed at
irst upon the silk and then enter the
,ars directly, where they feed vora-
:iOusly upon the grain and cob. As
many as 10 full-grown borers, each
lbout an inch long. have been found
'eeding upon and within q single ear
II corn. This extensive injury to the
ar results In its complete destruction.
some idea Of this damage may be
gained from the fact that IS plants.
II hills. were selected at
,andOm from a badly infested llassa-
.husetts corn field. and all the borers
ound therein were carefully removed
Ind counted. Forty-six borers, on an
Iverage, were found In each plant.
While one Of the plants contained III
'Orers. One hill consisting of four
,lants contained 81 bOrers. At the
lverage rate Of 46 borers a plant, an
lcre Of corn could contain over a mil
ion Of these pests. The bOrers enter
md damage other crops mentioned
In the same way as de-
cribed for corn. but usually to less
erious degree. In addition to the nc
uaI loss caused by the work of the
'"rers. there Is also the possibility that
one Of these products. when shipped
o market. may contain the insect and
hus serve as carriers Of the pest tn
Jew localities.
Although the female moths of the
European corn borer are capable Of
light, and may extend gradually the
resent limit Of the pest by natural
pread. the chief danger Of the coun-
rvs corn crop lies In the possibility
hat such plant material infested
y the insects may be transported
the country and start Other
ources Of iafestation. In order to |
s,mbat this danger Il win be necessary
frictly to enforre al fDdeenl anh olnto