274 REPORT OF THE COiimbSIONER OF AGRICULTURE. 



breath. Next day he saw nothing of these same larvii;, and lie gave up the experi- 

 ment. The kerosene blackened the onion tips, bnt did not affect the plant othor- 

 vfise, and 1 was assured tliat even pure kerosene might bo applied with salety to Ibo 

 plant. This seems to indicate a remedy, for kerosene applied with a sprinkler when 

 the worms are young and climbing (in the night, of course) would kill the vast ma- 

 jority of them. I tried the effect of the oil on a few specimens, and find its action 

 rai)id and complete, even on the full-grown larva. The younger generation would 

 doubtless be still more susceptible. Not the onion alone suffers from the attacks of 

 this insect ; it is everywhere, on all crops, though nowhere so abundant as on the onion 

 meadows. TLic specimens sent you will enable you to determine if tbe si)ecies is 

 known; if not, there are sufficieut to rear. I have kept none but a few alcoliolic 

 epecimeua myself. I found in the iiclds a single larva parasitized, and send you 

 the parasites. The farmers are scared, for it means distress, and, to some, alisolute 

 poverty. I gave them such encouragement as I could, and made such suggestions as 

 I could for the destruction of the worms. Still, the damage has been done, and prob- 

 ably a few days more will witness their transformation into the pupa state. 



Last year they appeared in the fields in some numbers, but created no alarm and 

 did no very great damage. 



Some parts of these fields are also infested with the larva of au Onion-fly (Antho- 

 myia), but this damage they can stand. Nearer to Turner's, some 6 or 8 miles from 

 Goshen, the fly is said to be more destructive than the Cut- worm. 

 Very resxiectfullv, 



JOHN B. SMITH. 



Prof. C. V, Riley, 



U. S. Entomologist, Washington, D. C. 



EBPORT OF THOMAS BENNETT. 



Sin : On the 22d instant, by your advice, I went to Goshen, Orange County, New 

 York, to see what I could do in the way of killing the Onion Cut-worms which are 

 doing so much damage there at present. As you directed, I called on Mr. Robert 

 Young, who lives in the infested district. 



This place is called Durlingville, and lies about 4 miles southwest of Goshen. The 

 onion district is a largo, almost level i)eat bog, nearly surrounded by hills, about IJ 

 miles long and about the same in width. The ]niblic road passes nearly through tlie 

 center, and soon rises and passes over a low hill or bluff which gives a beautiful view 

 of the suiTOunding locality. This peat bog is variously stated at from 7 to 10 feet 

 deep, and in some places much more, and was formerly almost covered with water, 

 which gave it the name of the "drowned" lands ; but by a system of ditching it has 

 been dried and found to contain the elements of great fertility, not only to farm bnt 

 also to garden crops. 



These lands were formerly owned by a few persons, who disposed of them to a col- 

 ony of poor people, who jiurchased a few acres according to their moans. Among 

 the former land-owners is Mr. Kobert Young, who lives upon this bluff, a kind of 

 paterfamilias to the colony. 



So far they have found the onion a very profitable crop, and for several years have 

 grown it almost to the exclusion of everything else. 



The people wore all busy at work, each family busily engaged, some weeding, 

 others using small hand cultivators between the rows of onions, but by far the greater 

 number were busily engaged in hand-picking the Cut-worms or grobs, which lie a 

 little under the surface of the ground. This all must do in order to save the cr9p 

 and keep down the great increase of this most destructive pest, for as yet they have 

 learned nothing better. 



The Onion Cut-worm when fully grown is about 1^ inches long, works only at night, 

 and during the day lies just under the surface, from 1 to 1^ inches deep. By a 

 slight draw of the "hand these worms or caterpillars are easily Ibund and can be 

 picked up into small vessels, carried away and destroyed. They are there iu great 

 numbers. It is very common for a family to pick 10 or 12 quarts by day and the same 

 number at night by the light of lamps. These most industrious people have to work 

 night and day to keep down these pests and save their crops. At night the worms 

 are all either crawling over the ground or up on the onion leaves eating them. Sonie 

 of tljo larger ones cut the stems close to the ground, and the young onion not having 

 formed a bulb docs not grow again. It seems this pest is only in the beginniug of its 

 career, for last year the damage done was much less than this year, arid according to 

 appearance, if there is not a stoj) put to its progress, these people must cease to grow 

 onions altogether. But it is to bo hoped they are near relief, for these pests and all 

 others of a Like kind are easily destroyed if taken in time and the proper means 

 applied. It is a beautiful sight to stand on the bluffs and look east and west and 

 see the plain covered with this valuable esculent, but for the red patches here and 

 there which mar the scene. After due examination I saw that nothing could be 

 done this year to kill the wornu» in the ground without involving too much ex- 



