THE STALK BORER. 63 



lily, dahlia or other plant causes an examination of the stalk, 

 in which the borer's hole may then be found below the wilted 

 portion, and nine times out of ten the borer itself lies within 

 the stalk, either above or below the opening. Occasionally the 

 affected stalk can be saved if treated at the very first appear- 

 ance of the drooping. We have rescued a number of dahlias 

 by dropping with a medicine dropper about a quarter to one- 

 half teaspoonful of bisulphide of carbon into the hole, and then 

 stopping it with cotton. Occasionally the worm can be reached, 

 in stems which are straight, without seriously injuring the 

 plant, by pushing a flexible wire into the burrow through the 

 opening. In extreme cases we have slit the stem with a pen- 

 knife from the opening up (if the worm is not above, it must 

 be sought for below the opening), removed and killed the 

 worm, and bound up the stem with raflia. The radical treat- 

 ment is to cut off the stem considerably below the opening, and 

 destroy the borer, thus preventing its subsequent increase. 



A significant fact was the finding the pest this year work- 

 ing in burdock in a vacant lot adjoining the writer's flower 

 garden, indicating a handy source of supply constantly threat- 

 ening the plants, in spite of faithful work within the garden's 

 confines. Evidently, one who would raise plants free from 

 injury should see to it that all burdock (and, evidently, many 

 other weeds), in neglected spots should be eliminated from the 

 neighborhood. 



We believe this worm leaves one stalk in which it has fed, 

 for another which offers a fresh food supply ; in other words, 

 it probably does not necessarily complete its larval life in one 

 plant or one stem of the plant. Normally, it pupates in the 

 ground just below the surface, the pupa giving rise to a 

 brownish moth, with a narrow white line in each fore wing. 

 It is a member of the Noctuidae, the family which contains the 

 cut-worms. From pupae obtained from hollyhocks in August, 

 we have had the moth emerge in September. The caterpillar 

 described in a previous report, varies considerably in color; 

 it has eight stripes running along the body, and may, when 

 young, have more or less of a purplish tinge. As it gets older 

 it becomes duller colored, and about midway of its length the 

 color is such as to make that part appear diseased. Many 

 points in connection with the life history of this insect, points 

 which will have a bearing on remedial treatment, remain to be 



