208' 



STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



Fig. 56. — Red-legged Jocust. (After Riley.) 



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Fig. 57. — Hopperdozer. Author's illustration. 



ready, a pint of kerosene is poured over the wet rags, and the banner 

 of cloth is also moistened with kerosene. The dozer is then dragged 



on its runners over the 

 field and the hoppers 

 either jump in or try to 

 jump over, in which 

 case they strike the ban- 

 ner and fall back into 

 the oil. A mere touch of 

 the oil is certain death; 

 it may take half a min- 

 ute if the insect falls di- 

 rectly into it, or it may 

 take half an hour if the 

 insect simply alights on 

 the banner moistened 

 with the oil, but no mat- 

 ter whether the insect 

 dies immediately or 

 takes a little time, he 

 is sure to die eventually. The great majority of the hoppers that jump 

 into the pan, jump out again at once but they die just as certainly and 

 almost as quickly as if they remained. 



Cut-worms. 



Just about the time that the danger from crows has abated somewhat, 

 the young sweet-corn is often called upon to withstand an attack by 

 cut-worms. There are striped cut-worms, dark, light, glassy, greasy 

 and many other sorts, each belonging to a different species, and each 

 developing into its corresponding moth. The moths or millers are 

 nocturnal in their habits, and are spoken of as owlet-moths because of 

 their habits and the shape of their heads. 



Cut-worms naturally work on sod land, and for this reason, it is well 

 to avoid planting corn, tobacco, tomatoes, or anything else especially 

 liable to their attacks directly after grass. Then too, the great majority 

 of our cut-worms pass the winter in a partially grown condition, and 

 when spring comes, and the sod and roots are replaced by a compara- 

 tively smaller number of corn plants, the Avorms are hardly to be blamed 

 for feeding (^n them. Sod land, then, has its disadvantages when used 

 before a crop liable to attack by cut-worms. It is also a menace when 

 adjacent to a corn-field, for the "worms" will travel quite a distance from 

 their breeding grounds in order to get at their favorite food. They work 

 at night, traveling on the surface of the soil, and cutting off the plants 

 low down at or just below the soil level. They cut off much more than 

 they can use and then retire before daybreak, burrowing lightly and 

 hiding often near the plant just cut off. One "worm" will forage night 

 after night and destroy many times as much food as could be eaten. 

 One can not help wondering at its wasteful habits. It has been sug- 

 gested that the food is cut in order to let it wilt before it is eaten. Wet 

 food does not seem to agree with some cateryjillars, neither does that 

 which is too vigorous and turgid. It is not unreasonable to suppose 

 that much of the food is cut in order that it may wilt and be ready for 



