16 . : Farmers’ Bulletin 1258. 
and, with care, cultivated the first time without seriously disturbine | 
the first planted corn. By the time for the second cultivation most of 
the worms will have finished feeding and at this time the old corn) 
can be cultivated out, leaving the second planting to occupy the field. 
It usually is a waste os time vand seed to replant the crop in the same 
rows or hills with the infested plants unless it is very late in the sea- — 
son, because the worms merely turn ‘their attention to the younger 
pants and soon the condition of these is no better than that of the 
first planting. Instances have come to notice where four successive 
plantings were made in the same rows and all but the last of these 
totally destroyed. The time at which the worms cease feeding varies 
with the location of the infestation. Seldom is any damage done in 
Tennessee after June 1. Farther north this date is later, cen as 
much as a month later in northern Ohio and Iowa. 
It should also be stated that deep plowing, thorough preparation 
of the seed bed, the application of fertilizer, sound healthy seed, 
and any other factors which favor the corn plant -will materially 
lessen injury. It has often been noted that corn growing in some 
particularly fertile spot in the field, perhaps where a stack has stood 
or where manure has been spread liberally, will escape almost with- 
out injury when the rest of the field is nearly destroyed. Corn plants 
can stand some mutilation of the outer leaves without apparent 
injury, if only the growing center or “bud” is not injured. The 
fast grewing, vigorous plants are in much better condition to resist 
injury and to recover when injured than those already handicapped 
by other unfavorable conditions. 
Rotation is not always a factor in the control of these insects, in 
fact not.a single instance has been recorded where corn after corn 
was injured. 
The possibilities of control for the other type of injury, namely, 
that occurring to grasslands, are much less. Little can be done that 
is likely to have much effect on the number or activities of the worms 
short of plowing up the sod and planting it to immune crops. Appli- 
cation of lime when needed, or of manure as a top-dressing, or any 
other treatment which will increase the vigor and thriftiness of the 
grass will lessen the proportion of loss. None of the attempts to 
poison the worms or to poison or trap the moths have proved suc- 
cessful. and in the main the tried and proved cultural practices which 
underlie good farming must be depended upon for control. 
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WASHINGTON : GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE : 1922 
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