INJURING THE LEAVES. 247 



which to contend. It is preyed upon by birds, as 

 well as by predaceous and parasitic insects, and is sub- 

 ject to the attacks of certain bacterial diseases that 

 often sweep the larvae off by millions. These vari- 

 ous natural enemies are the chief means of keeping 

 the pest in check. 



Remedies. — The burning of pastures and mead- 

 ows during fall, winter, or spring, especially the lat- 

 ter, is very often recommended as a remedy for the 

 Army Worm, and large numbers of the larvae may 

 thus be destroyed. The migration of the worms 

 from field to field may be prevented by plowing deep 

 furrows with the perpendicular sides away from the 

 worms, or by setting fence boards on edge, leaning a 

 little toward the worms, and smearing the upper 

 edge with coal tar. With the improved appliances 

 for distributing Paris green and London purple now 

 in use, these poisons will no doubt be more largely 

 used in suppressing future outbreaks of these worms 

 than in the past. It is quite probable also that we 

 may before long be able to fight them by means of 

 the germs of the contagious diseases to which they 

 are subject. 



Grasshoppers. 



Acrididse. 

 The family of locusts or short-horned grasshoppers 

 — commonly called simply grasshoppers — contains 

 many species which are more or less injurious in 

 pastures and meadows. The hind legs of these in- 

 sects are long and strong, enabling them to make the 



