The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1919-06-04
Farmers Say Strange "Critter
Is Eating Away Worms by
Thousands; Some Say New
Conner Carton Type.
BUMPER CROPS ARE
FORECAST IN GRADY
10000 Acres of Wheat Here AS
Against $1,000 Last Year;
Harvest on Next Week;
Cutting Barley Now.

Apparently in the well known nick
of time, a stranger has appeared in
Grady county and has saved the far.
mers many thousands of dollars by
putting the offensive of the army
worm on the blink, when said drive
had reached the proportions of tbs
German offensive just before the
doughboys took a hand. The Paris
of the wheat and alfalfa crop was
about to be taken, but the counter
offensive Of the new "critter' stopped
the advance and now the army worm.
is on the run, the alfalfa fields are
greening and the wheat growers are
wearing smiles a foot wide.
This is the substance of statements
made by Grady county farmers who
have Witnessed hundreds of battles
ebtween the new "critter" and the
army worm, and none have yet re-
ported a bout in which the army
worm got anything but the worst of
it. Poisoned bran was put out by
the ton over the county and such
bait did wonders toward helping to
check the rayages Of the army worm
but many of the Grady county far
mers credit the newcomer with turn
ing the tide of battle.
Some say the new worm is what is
known as the carton worm. Others
say that they have never seen him in
the county Whether he is an absc6
lutte stranger or has visited these
parts before, he is effective and he
is here by tie thousands
As one wheat grower explained,
"the worm is shaped like a cigar and
you can't tell which is his head and
which his tail, except when he is
moving, and then you don't know
whether he is coming or going He
has a couple OF whiskers or feeers !
that just fit around an army worm. |
He gets these around the worm and !
then punctures the alfalfa eater with !
spear-like snout. Right then the |
big thing takes place. Mr. Army |
Worm twists and squirms, but there |
is nothing doing, In little while |
he is dead and the new party goes
looking for another scrap"
Crops Looking Better.
AS a result of the efforts of the
army worm foe, the alfalfa and wheat
fields in the county are looking
much better. A week ago, the second
crop of alfalfa looked about as prom
Using as rice field in the Sahara
desert. Wheat. in spots over the
county, was being badly eaten and
many of the farmers had the glooms.
Dave Hill, owner of ranch near
Lucille, is reported to have sold so
acres of wheat for $40. /
Alfalfa stems, (they were stems a
week ago), are now beginning to
take on new leaves, wheat is in a
much improved condition and the
are again taking on rosy
tint
Wheat Harvest On.
The wheat harvest in Grady will
start next week. This applies par
ticularly to the soft wheat fields,
while it is expected the fields of hard
wheat will not he ready for the bind
or before the last of the week. Sew
eral binders are running in the bar
ley fields of the county now.
That Grady county will raise by
far the greatest wheat crop, despite
the worms, that has ever been known
here, is the opinion Of wheat grow
ers. Some expect that owing to the
peculiar manner in which the wheat
headed, together with ether causes,
will cut the quality to some extent.
1t is predicted that the wheat will
test about 55 to 81.
Big Acreage in County.
The acreage in the county is but
little short of double that of last
year. There are, it is estimated. 9O.-
GOO acres of wheat in Grady county.
Continued on page six)