10 FARMERS’ BULLETIN 1731, 
pupe. These birds and other animals should therefore be encour- 
aged and protected by the farmer by all possible means. 
CONTROL MEASURES. 
WATCHFULNESS AS A FACTOR. 
The importance of watchfulness, on the part of the farmer, as a 
factor in combating the army worm can not be too greatly empha- 
sized. Upon the discovery of the pest in its younger stages depends 
very largely the possibility of stamping out an infestation before 
serious injury to crops has occurred. The farmer should examine his 
meadows frequently during the spring and early summer months, 
particularly those planted to timothy, bluegrass, and especially mil- 
let. He should not be satisfied with looking merely at the surface of 
the stand; the thicker and longer the growth, the greater the danger 
from the army worm. The grass or grain should be parted with the 
hands in various parts of the field and the lower portions of the 
growth closely examined, in order to discover the presence of the 
small, greenish caterpillars, and if such be found in any number the 
area covered by the infestation should be determined and vigorous 
action taken at once to destroy the worms before they become large 
enough to begin their journey to other portions of the farm. If the 
infested spot be small, the grass or grain can be mowed off and straw 
scattered over the spot and burned, thus destroying the worms. If 
the caterpillars have become distributed over a considerable area, this 
can be marked off by stakes and the crop sprayed heavily with a 
mixture of Paris green at the rate of 1 pound to 50 gallons of water. 
In case this poison is used, care should be exercised in preventing 
stock from gaining access to the poisoned grass or grain and being 
injured or killed by eating it. It is far better to sacrifice a portion 
of the crop, if the destruction of the pest can be accomplished thereby, 
because if the army worms are not destroyed they will take the crop 
anyway and probably devastate other portions of the farm. 
POISONED BAITS. 
Poisoned baits of varying composition have long been used as a 
means of destroying the many different species of cutworms and 
also the army worm. An efficient bait of this kind may be pre- 
pared and used as follows: To 50 pounds of wheat bran and 1 
pound of Paris green or 2 pounds of arsenate of lead add the juice 
of one-half dozen oranges or lemons. Then bring the mass to a 
stiff dough by adding low-grade molasses or sirup, preferably the 
former, and scatter the mixture broadcast in small pieces throughout 
the infested field. This poisoned bait may be safely used in alfalfa 
