Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1923-05-03
CORN BORERl
SERIOUS Menace
Up to Present Time Insect Has
Not Done Much Damage.
Steady Movement of Pest to West In
dictates That 1t Is About to In
wade Area of Most Intensive
Corn Production.
Prepared by the United States Department
Of Agricuture.)

prepared by the United States Department
Of Agriculture)
To date the European corn borer,
first found in the United States in
1917, has done little damage to the
corn crop except in few sections
where this grain is not of major Inn
portance, but it has occupied territory
that makes it a constant menace TO
the great corn-growing region and its
steady movement westward indicates
that the insect is about to invade the
area Of most intensive corn produc-
ton. In anticipation of the need of
corn growers for detailed descriptions
and information on this pest, the
United States Department of Agricul-
ture has just issued Farmers Bulletin
1894, "The EuropeaA Corn Borer and
Its Control" by D. J. Caffrey and L.
II. Worthley. The bulletin is intend
ed to supply practical information to
corn growers, corn Gamers, dealers
in green vegetables, and market and
home gardeners.
When first found in this country the
European corn borer occupied an
area of about 100 square miles in the
vicinity Of Boston, Mass, and in the
past five years it has spread over a
total area of nearly 100 square miles.
II is found in eastern Massachusetts,
Southeastern New Hampshire, eastern
New York, and in a narrow belt along
Lake Erie in New York, Pennsylvania,
Ohio and Michigan. There is an ex-
tensive infested area in Ontario, and
1t may be that fields on the American
side of the lake were first infested by
insects originating IN Canadian fields.
The insect is thought to have been
brought into New England in 1909 or
1910 in broom corn imported from Hun
gary and Italy.
Insect Attacks Other Crops.
Although in this country corn seems
to be its favorite food, the insect also
attacks other field crops, vegetables,
flowers, large-stemmed grasses, and
weeds. It will use any kind of corn
as a host, but seems to prefer sweet
and flint, with dent corn next in
favor, and corn in general is preferred
to any other plant grown In this coun-
try. Among the garden vegetables,
celery, beets and rhubarb are affected
TO the greatest extent.
The damage to corn is done by the
larvae, or borers, chiefly in the ears
and stalks, but they also tunnel within
the tassel, the midrib Of the leaf, the
brace roots, and the stubble In ad-
dition, the young larvae often feed on
the surface Of the plant to a slight ex-
tent, particularly upon the leaf blades,
the tassel buds, the husks and silks,
and between the leaf sheath and the
stalk The injury to plants other
than corn is Of the same general char
acter as that of corn, except that in
some instances special parts of the
plants appear to be preferred as food
or shelter.
One reason why corn growers and
others are urged to study the habits
and appearance of the European corn
borer is that there are several insects
that may be mistaken for this pest.
Among them are the corn earworm,
the stalk-borer, the smartweed borer,
the celery stall1worm, the lined stalk
borer, and the larger corn stalk-borer.
All of these pests are described in the
bulletin, also the appearance of the
plants that have been attacked.
The most conspicuous sign Of in
festation in field Of growing corn
is the breaking over of tassel stalks
caused by the boring of the larvae. In
some fields as high as so per cent Of
broken tassels have been counted.
Some Measures of Control.
The department has established
guarantees covering the known in
tested areas and violations Of the reg
ulations bring on severe penalties.
These regulations are discussed in the
bulletin 1t also gives control meas
ures that are effective in the different
localities, the methods varying good
deal because of the different nature
of the agriculture in the various re-
gions In a general way the princi-
pal control measures are as follows:
Burn, or otherwise destroy, before
May 1 Of each year all cornstalks,
corncobs, corn stubble, vegetable, field,
and flower crop remnants, weeds, and
large-stemmed grasses of the previous
year. Remove all remnants of leaves
from rhubarb stems before marketing.
Cut corn close to the ground. Cut
and remove sweet-corn fodder from the
field as soon as the ears are harvested.
Feed direct to the live stock, place in
the silo, or destroy by burning. Cut
and remove field corn from the field
as soon as ears are mature. Feed
the stalks to live stock as soon as pos
sible and burn or otherwise dispose
of the uneaten parts before May 1 fol-
lowing. Shred or cut the fodder to
increase its consumption. Plow I'M
der thoroughly in the fall all infested
cornstaIks, corn stubble, other crop
remnants, weeds and similar material
which it Is Impractical to destroy in
any other manner. When necessary
to adopt this practice, an attempt
should be made to pillow under all of
the material to depth of at least six
inches. Small areas Of trap crops may
be planted. Other procedures are de-
scribed in the bulletin.
Copies of the bulletin may be OBJ
tanned without cost from the Depart
ment of Agriculture. Washington,
D. G.