Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-04-27
AMERICAN CORNF|ELDs
-.t'7 INVADED FROM EUROPE
From Austria, Threatens to De-
stroy Half OF Important Crop.
DESTROYER MAY BE DESTROYED
Made First Appearance in Massa-
chusetts, Where Ii Has Been Very
Destructive, and From Which
Point 1t May Spread Over Country.

!, Point 1t May Spread Over Country.
J. Another DANGEROUS pest has landed
= on these shores from Europe. 1t has
4 ane; according to. Professor w. Il.
! walton. cntomoloGist in charge of ce-
!. real and forage nsec, invcstiE4tions
7 of 1.-THE United states Agricultural pc
!. rar,ment, It has great Potentially for
I damage to this years corn crop Of the
entire Cunt AS yet his 3av corn Gorer
\ but authorities on tho subject tell us
it is moving southwark and westward,
; the corn growing, sections Of the couil-
try ,n Vast As ,s suns 6S y6T is through
/, us, was Grst discovered during the
, summer OF 1917 in Eastern Massachu-
10 bo present in thirty four towns,
comprising an area OF abou, 500 square
hii!eS Immediately west, north and
northeast o. the city OF EUston.
During the month Of January of this
year u caterpillar, supposed to belong
ing corn in the STATE S'e of New York in
the Immediate vicinity of schenectady.
hS s9sges and Of Say s2r"'os
known TO be infested. comprising an
area Of, approximately 4oo SQUARE
m,n,isS; Ihe most serious lnicS l;l
chusctts. where the insect doubtless has
been present for more than tive years,
and is inturins sweet corn TO such an
extent that moro than 500 catcrpillars
have been found 10 he present in Il
single hall OF sweet corn.
Gees for Corn. hut Doesn't stop There.
At the present time corn Is tho prin-
cipal crop attacked by this insect. hut
in case of necessity II enters and leeds
upon great variety Of other plants,
for this reason the danger Of its boins
transported from one portion OF the
d dang TO nn2iae is corn SrI b srHye In
sect j.. OF the gravcSt possible charac-
ter. The borcrs tunnel through all
parts of the plant, eNccptinG only the
roots. /; is especially fond ~ the cars,
boring through the stems into the cen
ter OF the cob and afterwards dcvour-
ing the kernels.
It first attacks the ;assels about the
rtt,e they are emerging from the
sheath, causing them TO break and fall
oter, splitting the pollen TO the ground.
and IN u large percentage Of cases the
ears fail OF fcrtilizatjon ana a con-
siderable loss 10 tile crop is caused in
this manner.
Capable or Destroying Half of Crop.
q Judging from the njury already APP
parent In tho intensely infested area
OF Mas sachusctts, the potentiulity for
INJURY to the country's corn crop a.
large can scarcely bc exaggerated. If
lhis insect should escape into the corn
5slt Of the upnGGr Mississippi basin,
CHS would constitute a national dis
astcr of immense proportions.
: Under normal conditions tho margin
81 profit in the production of corn is
hot large ono. and that any great
rcductiou in this margin would be re-
1cctcd instantly by tho live stock in
ousLry' which is dependent almost Gu
lirclN, II not absolutely. upon corn
p-0ductlon Cor its profitable existence.
:, Ihc European corn borcr in its ma
ave country. which appears TO BE Cen
trni Europe. including especially Aus
+ tria- hungary, is an insect of grave
lmporsamrc to the corn growing IN
"a tt,.
entuln oIoGiSts frequently TO take a toll
Of from onc-fourth to onc-half OF The
: Hnow from past experiences that in
Scots OF this character which are re-
moved from their native restraints and
become established in foreign coun-
tries, aud especially tho United states.
are many times more injurious than is
iMr GaSe IN their native countries,
We have reason 10 fear tho very worst
From the work OF this pest should il
gSo0tne eSianl!shed in the h"id corn
growing regions Of tho country.
Destroying the Destroyer.
This insect spends the winter as a
ne,riy fuN-grown caterpillar: hidden IN
;he interior Of the stalks Of corn, old
CO.'S native grasses weeds. and gar
den vegetables. This is the weak link
IN its life history, and affords a means
OF STACKING it. Congress has been
asked 10 appropriate u considerable
su!n OF money FOR the purpose OF at
ic;npiinI - eradicate or at least re-
strict indeitHitcly the spread OF this
insect in order TO prevent a disaster
10 IN. corn INDUSTRY of the country.
The method Of 1rcccdgrc is 10 dc
s,roy Tho vcsclaG.l. debris ot tho
previous summers Growth during the
all winter ana spring months, in order
70 KIN the Catcrpiliars contained there
m. This is necessarily a Iaborious and
tedious. process, involving the employ
heHt OF large numbers OF laborers and
q considerable amount Of special ma
chlneEy some of the dead vcyetu-
ton is subject 10 treatment by burn
ing, but Il considerable amount of IT,
especially during large portion OF
the working season, is Wet. more or less
covered with earth, and must be treated
~ some other manner II has been
t S9nnd possible 70 s;eriizc it in con
SIDERABLE quantities by the appiicut ton
or steam under cover. This method of
attack is now being investigated Very
'ihe!E special burning machinery for
ne purpose Of cleaning up infested
weed areas by spraying with burui,..
oil VIII be perfected ana found most
dseiui at a slightly later date.
Some control work has been at
tempted With funds provided jointly bv
The United states Department OF Arr
culture and the state Of Massachusetts
ana thdt work has 50 far been confined
. massachusetts,. hu; the destructive
lHeec; seems to be spreading, and Nir.
gina farmers may look Tor il this sum
rncr unless precautions, arc taken
close watch should be made ana n
ne corn ooTer from Austria shows M
IN ms state this summer. the prccau.
Ions suggested above should BY all
means be taken next fall and wiilter
TO that end tina, the borcr may bc de.
,stroyea before i. gets full hcadway in
NIrs!nia.
The very small fund provided BY the
Agricultural Department Tor cradcat-
ing ;h!s insect has been exhausted and
az soon AS Congress meets an erncr.-
ehcy appropriation VIII b" asked for
The experts believe the corn borer can
be eAterininated before IT gets all Over
the work are provided IN ,i,nc