The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1919-08-15

prepared by the United States Depart
ment Of Agricultural
The army worm has cut wide
swath this year in the vicinities OF
Dallas and Fort Worth. Tex. Strenu-
GUS efforts to prevent its spread have
been made, and absence of other re-
ports gives ground for the hope that
1t may not appear elsewhere this sum-
mer, but United States department OF
agriculture entomolOgists urge all
farmers in all states east Of the Rocky
mountains to remain on the watch for
the pest until cool weather comes next
autumn.
There are usually three generations
Of caterpillars-the form In which the
pest greatly damages crops by feeding
upon them-in a year, but seldom or
never are there two successive out
breaks in any one locality. The In
sects usually appear In the fields very
suddenly, and 1t seems certain that the
moths-the parents Of the caterpii-
lars-at times fly in great numbers for
many miles, In the direction or the
prevailing winds. and alight in body
to deposit their eggs at some place
favorable to the development OF their
offspring. This fact accounts for the
appearance Of the army worm In re-
xions far removed from any known
source Of infestation.
How to Identify Worm.
The full-grown army worm Is
nearly naked, smooth, striped cater
pillar, about one and one-half inch
long. Its general color 10 usually
greenish, and the stripes, one along
each side and a broad one down the
center of the back, are dark and often
nearly black. The stripe along the
back usually has fine, light-colored
broken stripe running down Its CEN
ter. The color Of the body between
the dark stripes varies from greenish
to reddish brown. The head Is green
Ash brown, speckled with black.
"When an army Of these worms Is
at work In a field" says one OF the
publications of the department OF
agriculture, which are not given to ex-
aggeration or to seeking after me'o-
dramatic effects, "the champing OF
their Jaws is plainly to be heard as
they greedily devour every blade In
sight. In this stage the army worm
frequently consumes all OF the food
supply near the place where It mas
developed from the eggs. When such
is the case the caterpillars mass to-
9ether and crawl away In body In
search of other food. 1t Is this habit
which has gained for the insect the
popular name Of army worm"
Killing Worms In burrows.
II is the massing together OF the
caterpillars which gives to the farmer
the chance of destroying them In great
numbers. Burrows or bitches are
plowed or dug completely around the
infested area, or directly across the
path Of the advancing horde. In at
tempting to cross such bitches the
worms fall into them, and can easily
be destroyed by crushing them with
a log dragged back and forth through
the ditch or furrow. II shallow post
holes are sunk in the bottom or the
ditch at intervals Of about 70 feet
the worms win crawl along the ditch
bottoms and fall into the holes. where
they may be destroyed by crushing o.
other means. II the subsoil Is OF such
a nature that water penetrates 1t but
slowly, the post holes may be partially
.nlled with water. with q layer OF coal
oil or petroleum on the top OF It. The
oil kills the worms Immediately.
other Control Measures.
watchfulness and quick action OF
the part Of farmers are essential IL
AL the control measures, which IN
-clude, IN addition to the ditcnini
method, the following: Y.
In case Of q general invasion, pvs
che ground light cultivation. II poo
.siblA sStw ~ catsrpillsrs have scn'