The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1920-07-15
THE SOUTHERN GRASS WORM
ON CORN
BY R. N. Lobdell-

agricultural SOAASSS, ouiy 1H
During the past two months
several different kinds of cut
worms and army worms have been
numerous in various parts of
Mississippi. At present the
Southern Grass Worm Uaphyg-
ma frugiperda) is causing great
loss to corn and other crops in
many counties. This is the most
serious outbreak of the pest since
1912. During the past few weeks
hundreds of inquirers have writ
ten to the entomologist asking for
information as to control meas
ures.
Mistakes To Avoid
Do not clean of grass where
worms are present. Before clean
ing corn of grass, look sharply to
see whether this pest is present,
either as the young worm,-white,
SMALL and feeding on but one side
of the corn or grass leaf,-or as
the more nearly full grown cater
pillar feeding freely on the ex-
tended leaf blade or eating into
the heart of the growing shoot.
In case the pest is found, delay
after the worms upon it have been
poisoned. For if the grass be kill
ed any worms that were feeding
upon it will at once transfer them
selves to corn and increase the ra-
pidity of damage there. If no
worms are present, clean the
grass away and keep it so, as it is
upon grass that the female moths
prefer to lay their eggs; they will
usually fly until they find it.
Do not thin corn where the
worms are present. Even where
the worms are not found it will be
well, this season, to delay thinn-
ing the corn for as long as may
be done without stunting the
plants to be left.
Do not cut off plants that show
worm damage. In almost every
case these worms feeding on the
extended leaf blade will drop to
the ground when the plant is
touched, to return presently and
finish devouring the cut-back
plant or it's neighbor.
Control Measures That May Be
Used To Save Corn.
Hand-picking. I'm 1912 many
small fields of cotton, corn and
cane were saved by simply going
over them every day or two and
picking off and destroying the
worms. Where there are children
to do this, it will undoubtedly pay
on small farm. Time may be
saved by carrying a large open
vessel with a small amount of oil
and water in it. The worms are
shaken or picked from the plants
into this vessel and the oil will
kill them.
Poisoning Ditch-Banks, Terraces
And Fence-ROws.
AS the moths of these insects
prefer grass in which to deposit
their eggs, the worms are often
discovered in such places. Any
method that will kill them can be
used, but poisoning such strips is
usually the most practical me-
thod. If a strip of grass separates
an infected field from an uninfect-
ed one, the strip should be pois-
Oned. Care must be taken to keep
stock away from the poison.
Plowng burrows. In cases
where the worms appear in great
numbers in certain fields, as for
example, grass lands, and are be-
ginning to march outward to cul-
tivated crops or other fields, deep
burrows or bitches may be plowed
around the infected field with the
vertical side away from the
worms. AS they congregate in
these bitches they can be killed by
dragging logs through the fur
rows. If the bitches can be parti-
ally filled with water or are filled
by rains, a small quantity of kero-
sene or other oil should be added
to form thin scum over the top.
This will prove fatal to the
worms. Sometimes several fur
rows can be plowed around field
so that the worms that manage to
cross the first may get caught in
the others.
Poisoned bran bait. Where an
area in grass has been about eaten
up by the worms, the assumption
of the army habit and also pupa-
tion and the emergence of the
moths as parents of another gene
ration can be prevented, to very
great extent, by the use of poison
ed bait, which the worms will eat
readily where fresh green grass
or corn is not about them The
bait is composed as follows:
Wheat bran, SO pounds; Paris
nrooy, ~ xrvh1fo