Rbfort of the Entomologists. 629 



experts to investigate the trouble and see what could be done. 

 As usual in such cases the damage was not reported to them until 

 about time for the cutworms to stop feeding, hence prax'ticallv 

 nothing was accomplished. 



Outbreak of Cutworms in 1805. 



Nothing further was heard of this pest on onions until June. 

 1895. At which time Mr. M. H. Vernon, of Florida, Orange 

 county, wrote to the Station asking for help to combat them. 

 The writer was sent to investigate the trouble. He found that in 

 most cases the worms had done all the damage they could do, 

 or else the growers had them under pjirtial control by ditching 

 and by picking. No further attempt at controlling them was 

 made until the spring of 1896. Arrangements were made for Mr. 

 M. H. Vernon to notify us as soon as the cutworms commenced 

 their depredations. The onion fields were visited April 24, 1896. 

 but no cutworms (;ould be found. On May 11 word was received 

 from Mr. Vernon that they were at work. The fields were 

 reached May 12 and preparations made to carry on a series of 

 tests of the different remedies that had been suggested and tried 

 on other crops in various sections of the country. 



Prevbntivb Measures. 



The object of these tests was to determine: First, which would 

 be the most practical means of preventing the migration of the 

 cutworms from the margins of the ditches atid driveways to the 

 onions. Second, to determine if the onions could be poisoned, or 

 other means used to destroy the cutworms after they had migrated 

 over the fields. Poisoning was tried as follows: First, about ten 

 rods on one end of 150 rows of small onions was sprayed, liquid 

 resin mixture of lime and Paris green being used.* Second, on an- 

 other field fifty bunches of poisoned grass were put out. Paris 

 green was used at the rate of one pound to eighty gallons of 

 water to poison the grass. Third, fifty piles of poisoned bran 



* A onmpleto description of this mixtnie is jjiveii iu ttip article, " Notfs on Cabbagp Plusia 

 and Remedies for the Same." P'or the abovp tests sixteen qurtrts of milk of linie, about two 

 pounds of dry lime, one pound of Paris green and four gallons of the resin mixture was used 

 a«d enough water added to make 160 gallons in all. 



