CUT WORMS REMEDIES. 



317 



of the hound upon the track of the hare. Its head was down, 

 as if in the act of smelling, and every few minutes it would dig 

 with its fore feet in the manner of the dog. At length it dug up 

 a worm, stung it to death, and left it. On a succeeding .day I 

 saw the same insect engaged in burying the victims of its war- 

 fare. A hole was excavated in the soil sufficient to deposit the 

 worm by the use of its fore feet. The dead worm was then 

 seized by the forcep jaAvs of the insect, who drew it backwards 

 into the hole into which it entered in rear of the worm, and from 

 which it immediately emerged, and scraping the earth together 

 raised a tumulus over the grave." % 



As to the best modes for subduing the cut-worm and guarding 

 against its ravages, only a few words will be necessary, as this 

 topic has been so often discussed in our agricultural journals. 

 Commonly only one or two stalks in a hill of corn or beans are 

 cut off, and the remainder are left unmolested, the worms appear- 

 ing to require but a few meals of this kind, just as they are 

 on the point of changing topupse. It is well, therefore, to plant 

 so much seed as will enable these depredators to glut their appe- 

 tites without taking all the stalks in the hill. Observation has 

 long pointed to this as a precaution which should always be 

 taken. Hence the old rule as to the number of kernels which 

 should be planted in each hill of corn — 



" One for the black -bird and one for the crow, 

 Two for the cut-worm and three to grow." 



But occasionally these worms are so numerous that active ex- 

 ertions must be put forth to save the crop from destruction. 

 And general experience shows we have as yet only one resort 

 which is perfectly certain and reliable, to wit, digging the worms 

 out from their retreats and destroying them. To go over a large 

 cornfield carefully, on this errand, and promptly as the exigency 

 of the case demands, is quite a formidable task. Still, every one 

 will perceive on a moment's reflection that when this measure is 

 necessary to save the crop, the same amount of labor can scarcely 

 be bestowed elsewhere so profitably. 



It however is very desirable that some effectual and more 

 speedy mode of combating these insects should be discovered. 

 So long ago as 1817, a notice in the newspapers stated that making 



