Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1919-07-22
That Stalk Borer.
DOES IT WEAR STRIPES? THEN DON'T
GET EXCITED.

If you find q worm-like borer tunnel
ing through the stalk Of your cord, pota-
toes, tomatoes or other plants, take Q
good look at it and then decide whether
It is an American or the notorious immi-
grant from Europe.
If 1t has . black head and white body
With black or brown dots regard 1t with
suspicion and apply to the Maine ARri-
cultural Experiment Station for Farm
ers' Bulletin on "The European Corn
Borer," 500 copies of which the o. S.
Department of Agriculture has sent rs
for distribution.
IF, however, IL has . blonde head and
its body ID brownish with five white
stripes, one running down the middle of
the back and two on each side, don't get
excited for that's our old familiar enemy
which has been with ~ Of and on for
these many years. You can tell 1t easily
from the fact that the side white stripes
do not extend AL the way to the bead so
that there 10 "black and blue" space
near that end of the body which makes
the caterpillar look as il 1t had been
bruised.
It's presence in . young stalk OF corn
is very clearly indicated by the willing.
breaking down and death of the top, and
by the presence of . round hole in the
side of the stalk, plugged with the brown
excrement of the caterpillar within.
1t infests . great variety of other plants
in Q precisely similar way. 1t is most
noticeable in early spring in bluegrass,
by roadsides or around the borders OF .
field, its presence there being betrayed
by the whitening of single heads of the
grass while all the rest of the plant is
green. At this time it 10 of small size,
and finds sufficient food within the grass
stem; but later 1t Is compelled to resort
to tbicker-stemmed plants, and it 10 at
this time that IL may appear in fields OF
corn.
Going in usually from outside the field,
its injury is, a. q rule, almost wholly
confined to the outer rows. 1t 10 prob
able that where the injury 10 not limited
TO the margins of the field, but 10 geLeral
its area, the eggs were laid
in fall in grass or thick-stemmed weeds
in corn fields, where these have sprung
up profusely after the corn has been
borer makes within the stem runs up
wards from the entrance opening, and OF
course varies in size with the growth OF
the larva. Sometimes in leaving stalk
it makes new hole above that by which
it entered and it may In this way burrow
in succession several different stalks and
several different kinds of plants. Corn
is injured by it while from two to ten
inches high.
Besides the corn, wheat, and bluegrass
already mentioned, 1t may infest oats,
and timothy, various garden crops-in.
cluding potatoes, tomatoes, rhubarb, and
spinach-blackberry and raspberry canes,
the thick-stemmed weeds-such a. rag
weed, burdock, and cocklebut-a con-
siderable variety of garden flowers, and
also the new growth of the peach, cur
rant, grape, apple, willow, etc. Indeed,
its food plants are 80 numerous a. to in
dicate q practical indifference to kinds,
the only necessary condition being . rel
atively thick stem, soft enough to allow
it to enter and feed freely within. In
the small grains and larger grasses, like
oats and timothy, it makes its presence
manifest by killing or even cutting OF
the stem within an ensheathing leaf, thus
causing the head and the whole plant
above the injury to turn white, and
presently to dry up. 1t 10 only one OF
several insects which produce this gen.
eral effect at this time, but its own in
Jury may be at once distinguished by
the round hole which it leaves in the
stem of the infested plant.
The caterpillar, when full grown,
pupates, Is . rule, within It's last burrow,
commonly below the opening at which
it entered-seemingly precaution
against it's destruction by the withering
and breaking away Of the upper part OF
the injured plant. The pupa Is light
mahogany brown, about three-fourths OF
an inch in length, and bears at the tip OF
the body Q pair of spines. From it
comes out . fawn-gray or mouse colored
moth with the outer third of the wings
paler and bordered within by whitish
Cross line.
There is but one brood in year, and
By the end of June the caterpillars are
over half and have mostly left
the grasses in which they made their
start and entered the thicker -stemmed
plants, of course including corn. They
live In this stage until late in July, when
pupation begins, but larvae have been
found until August %. The moths be-
gin to appear about the middle Of
August, but continue throughout Septem-
Der and October. They have never been
found In Information, and Ii seems likely
that they lay their eggs in fall in grass
lands, and that these hatch IN fall or the
following spring.
Fortunately. injuries by this insect are
not Of kind to require special measures
of prevention or remedy. 1t ID, Of
course, impossible to poison the larva In
the corn field, and the breeding habits Of
the insect are not such - to enable rs to
destroy 1t in the pupa state by any ordiss
nary operation. If headlands or other
grassy lots adjoining corn show in early
spring IN unusual abundance of these
insects, 1t might be worth while 10 NOW
the infested turf and carry away and feed
the cut grass promptly, before the cater
pillars could escape to enter the corn.-
Chas. D. Woods, Director.