348- INSECTS INJURIOUS TO VEGETATION. 



Pyrophila, but not the essential characters of the genus. It 

 differs also from Agrotis and Graphiphora in some respects, 

 and therefore I have thought it best to leave it, for the present, 

 in the old genus No du a, undevihe specific name of clandestina, 

 the clandestine owlet-moth. 



Among the various remedies that have been proposed for 

 preventing the ravages of cut-worms in wheat and corn fields, 

 may be mentioned the soaking of the grain, before planting, 

 in copperas-water and other solutions supposed to be dis- 

 agreeable to the insects; rolling the seed in lime or ashes; 

 and mixing salt with the manure. These may prevent wire- 

 worms (lull) and some insects from destroying the seed; but 

 cut-worms prey only on the sprouts and young stalks, and do 

 not eat the seeds. Such stimulating applications may be of 

 some benefit, by promoting a more rapid and vigorous growth 

 of the grain, by which means the sprouts will the sooner be- 

 come so strong and rank as to resist or escape the attacks of 

 the young cut-worms. Fall-ploughing of sward-lands, which 

 are intended to be sown with wheat or planted with corn the 

 year following, will turn up and expose the insects to the 

 inclemency of winter, whereby many of them will be killed, 

 and will also bring them within reach of insect-eating birds. 

 But this seems to be a doubtful remedy, against which many 

 objections have been urged.* The only effectual remedy at 

 present known, has been humorously described by Mr. Asahel 

 Foote in the " Albany Cultivator," and reprinted in the seven- 

 teenth volume of the " New England Farmer." After having 

 lost more than a tenth part of the corn in his field, he " ordered 

 his men to prepare for war, to sharj^en their finger ends, and 

 set at once about exhuming the marauders. For several days 

 it seemed as if a whole procession came to each one's funeral, 

 but at length victory wreathed the brow of perseverance; and, 

 the precaution having been taken to replace each foe dislodged 

 with a suitable quantity of good seed-corn, he soon had the 

 pleasure to see his field restored, in a good measure, to its 

 original order and beauty, there being seldom a vacancy in a 



* See Mr. Colman's "Third Report of the Agriculture of Massachusetts," p. 62. 



