162 ~ EXPERIMENTAL FARMS. 



In reply Mr. Lawrence was informed that the species was the same as referred 

 to above, and the usual remedies were given. 



Early last spring I had some correspondence with Mr. Eichard Waugh upon 

 this subject, which began by his sending me a letter from Mr. John Stewart, com- 

 plaining of the injuries to his crop of 1892, in which he also mentioned that a crop 

 of flax had been left untouched; to this I replied, March 26: — "I have read your 

 correspondent's letter carefully and noticed that the crops attacked by the caterpil- 

 lars v/ere oats and wheat (Grarainese), and that flax the only other crop mentioned, 

 which belongs to a diff'erent family of plants, was uninjured. Now some of the Cut- 

 worms which destroy grass crops, grains included, do not injure other crops, and it 

 is just possible that the species in question may be one of these. Should this be the 

 case, the simplest remedy which suggests itself is to put the land under some other 

 crop than one belonging to the Grass family for two or three years. Potatoes are 

 good for this purpose, not only because comparatively few insects injure that plant, 

 but because potatoes are late in appearing above the ground in spring. I surmise that 

 the insect complained of is the same Cut-worm as some years ago was sent to me by 

 Mr. A. Burrows, and upon which I wrote an article for The Nof West Farmer. It 

 is difficult to suggest a definite remedy for any insect without seeing specimens. I 

 hope that Mr. Stewart or any other farmers will send me specimens of insects 

 which may trouble them." 



" June 7. — Yesterday when at Carberry speaking at the Institute, considerable 

 damage was reported to summer-fallowed wheat by caterpillars of which I send you 

 a sample. Very weedy fields which had been allowed to grow so without disturb- 

 ance, suff'ered most, and a cultivated strip in the same field seemed free of the 

 insects. Barley was being sown on the top of the ruined wheat, in the hope that it 

 would escape. I asked one man to try a half bushel of flax. Some allege that late 

 ploughed fallow does not suff'er, and it is assumed that deep ploughing and rolling 

 later in the year would either bury them or divert them from coming there. Others 

 allege that mellowness of the soil is as much the attraction as the green weeds. 

 Some years ago a crop of wheat was saved by the grubs eating up the pig weed in 

 the crop and leaving the less palatable vegetation. Such grubs have devoured the 

 crops in clean gardens that were summer-fallowed. Will you please consider this 

 and give us your opinion as to remedial action ? Prof, Lugger killed the grasshop- 

 per grubs in Minnesota by deep ploughing." 



Reply : — " Jur.e 21. — The grubs sent with your letter are the Clay-backed Cut 

 worm (Agrotis campestrisy^ which is frequently very troublesome in Manitoba. You 

 are correct when you say that Cut-worms are most injurious where weeds have been 

 allowed to grow undisturbed the previous year. It is just possible but hardly likely 

 that the barley sown where the wheat was ruined will escape. This Cut-worm, I 

 think, comes to full growth only toward the end of June, and the barley would, of 

 course, be up long before that. Grain crops being occasionally saved owing to the 

 fact that the grubs attacked by preference pig weed and other plants growing among 

 them, is merely due to the fact that some varieties of Cut-worms feed only upon certain 

 kinds of plants ; but then again on the other hand, others are virtually omnivorous, 

 and will eat anything. There are in Canada about 300 different kinds of Cut-worms, 

 many of which differ widely in their tastes and habits. I am afraid that the deep 

 ploughing remedy for this pest, would not avail much. Prof. Lugger's experiments 

 in Minnesota were with grasshoppers' eggs not with the grubs. There are some 

 Cut-worms which pass the winter in the moth state and lay their eggs in the spring, 

 as in the case of the Army-worm moth. It is just possible that those gardens which 

 were infested after having been kept clean the year before, were devastated by a species 

 having this habit. These, however, are luckily few in number, so that, on the whole, 

 I consider one of the best remedies for Cut-worms is, keeping the land as clean as 

 possible in the autumn." 



There is perhaps no one single question concerning which so man}' inquiries 

 are made by farmers and gardeners every year as the best remedy for Cut-worms. 



* = Cameades insulsa, Walk. 



