234 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS. 



in most parts in low lands where the caterpillars have suitable conditions for growth 

 and an abundance of food. It has also been observed that the Army-worm is most 

 abundant in wet season- following a dry autunm, the damp weather giving them the 

 same conditions over a large area as they would find in their own s(>ecial habitat, viz., 

 low, swainpy, and gras^^y places. 



" When the caterpillars appear only in moderate numbers, they have an abundant 

 food supply, and do not then acquire the habit of 'marching,' which is merely moving 

 from one place where all the fo(jd has been devoured, to a fresh pasture. When, how- 

 ever, their occunence is excessive, they mu^t of. necessity move on to some other place 

 or starve. They may be prevented fron marching from one field to another by plough- 

 ing a deep furrow across their path. This should be cleared out so as to leave the edge 

 nearest to the field to be protected, perpendicular or slightly overhanging. Along the 

 trench so formed, pits must be dug about 13 feet apart. When the caterpillars come 

 to the trench, they are unable to climb up the opposite side, and after a few trials, 

 walk along until they fall into the pits, when they may be destroyed by covering them 

 with earth and tramping it down, or, as Prof. Lugger, of Minnesota, suggests, ' with a 

 liberal dose of kerosene oil and water. Even a shallow ditch will answer this purpose 

 if the earth is made friable enough to keep the worms from ascending. If a log is 

 dragged continually through such a ditch, nearly all the worms collected there are 

 either killed or maimed.' 



" If pits are not dug, when the caterpillars occur in large numbers, the trench will 

 soon be filled, and they will walk over on the bodies of their fellows. In case any of 

 the worms succeed in crossing the ditch, a narrow strip of the plants on the opposi'e 

 side of the trench should be dusted or sprinkled with a strong mixture of Pans green 

 diluted either with 25 times its weight of flour, ashes or land plaster, or mixed with 

 water as strong as one ounce to a pailful of water. 



•' When an attack has been very severe in any locality, much good may be done by 

 burning the old grass and stubble in autumn or spring; in this way, many of the young 

 larvae are destroyed, as well as the old stems, which it seems are the favourite place for 

 the spring brood of moths to lay their eggs upon. 



" An encouraging feature in connection with an invasion by the Army-worm, is the 

 fact that it is extremely rare for the insects to appear in large numbers two years run- 

 ning in the same place. This is due to the fact that they are almost invariably attended 

 by parasitic foes, which destroy them so eff"ectually that the occurrence of two consecutive 

 ' Army-worm years ' in the same locality is almost unknown." 



FODDEK CROPS. 



The injuries to fodder crops during the summer of 1896 were chiefly by the Army- 

 worm and Grasshoppers. Occasional mention wtis made of the work of the Clover Seed 

 Midge, which, however, is found to be far wider-spread over the Dominion than is indi- 

 cated by reports, because this insect is mentioned only by correspondents in the seed- 

 growing districts. Undoubtedly much clover was killed out by the droughts of 1895 and 

 1896 and by the severe cold of December, 1895, and January, 1896, which came when 

 there wa<^ no snow on the ground. The work of the Clover-root Borer [Hylesinus 

 trifolii, Miller) was reported by Mr. R. A. Harvey, of Laskay, York Co., Ont. 



White Grubs, the larvae of the different species of June beetles (Lachnosierna), 

 have been reported as injuring meadow lands and lawns. The good work of robins and 

 high-holders (golden-winged woodpeckers) in destroying the grubs on an infested lawn is 

 mentioned by Mr. J. F. McDonald, barrister, of Dunnville, Ont. Another instance invol- 

 ving considerable injury was on the land of Mr. Caius M. C. Hubble, of Sand Hill, Ont., 

 who writes : — " I dug up these grubs all the season among potatoes, carrots, corn and 

 turnips ; but they are most numerous in the carrots. The last I found was on November 



