﻿The 
  newly 
  hatched 
  larvse 
  have 
  but 
  four 
  pairs 
  of 
  abdominal 
  legs, 
  

   and 
  move 
  at 
  first 
  like 
  measuring-worms, 
  acquiring 
  a 
  fifth 
  pair 
  later. 
  

   When 
  full 
  grown 
  the 
  cutworms 
  most 
  commonly 
  pupate 
  under 
  ground, 
  

   each 
  forming 
  a 
  smooth, 
  dark 
  brown 
  chrysalis, 
  from 
  which 
  in 
  three 
  

   weeks 
  or 
  more 
  comes 
  some 
  one 
  of 
  several 
  species 
  of 
  dull 
  brownish 
  or 
  

   grayish 
  moths 
  about 
  an 
  inch 
  and 
  a 
  half 
  across 
  the 
  spread 
  wings. 
  This 
  

   hides 
  by 
  day, 
  like 
  the 
  larva, 
  and 
  flies 
  only 
  at 
  night. 
  These 
  insects 
  are 
  

   usually 
  single-brooded, 
  although 
  some 
  species 
  have 
  two 
  or 
  three 
  genera- 
  

   tions 
  in 
  a 
  year. 
  They 
  hibernate 
  almost 
  invariably 
  as 
  partly 
  grown 
  

   larvse, 
  doing 
  their 
  principal 
  damage 
  to 
  vegetation 
  during 
  spring 
  while 
  

   finishing 
  their 
  growth. 
  

  

  They 
  are 
  much 
  subject 
  to 
  the 
  attacks 
  of 
  parasites 
  and 
  other 
  preda- 
  

   ceous 
  enemies. 
  Tachina 
  flies 
  fasten 
  their 
  white 
  eggs 
  to 
  the 
  back 
  of 
  the 
  

   larva 
  near 
  the 
  head, 
  and 
  from 
  these 
  the 
  young 
  parasitic 
  maggots 
  pene- 
  

   trate 
  to 
  the 
  interior. 
  Small 
  hymenopterous 
  parasites 
  hatch 
  from 
  eggs 
  

   deposited 
  within 
  the 
  bodies 
  of 
  the 
  caterpillars, 
  and 
  at 
  maturity 
  leave 
  

   behind 
  the 
  shriveling 
  body 
  of 
  their 
  host, 
  together 
  with 
  a 
  little 
  tuft 
  of 
  

   tiny 
  yellow 
  or 
  white 
  cottony 
  cocoons 
  on 
  a 
  blade 
  of 
  grass 
  or 
  the 
  stem 
  of 
  

   a 
  weed. 
  Larger 
  hymenopterous 
  parasites, 
  such 
  as 
  Ophion, 
  also 
  attack 
  

   them; 
  predaceous 
  beetles, 
  like 
  the 
  caterpillar-hunter 
  (Ca/^j^^wd;), 
  destroy 
  

   numbers 
  of 
  them; 
  and 
  insectivorous 
  birds, 
  especially 
  the 
  robin 
  and 
  

   meadow 
  lark, 
  greatly 
  aid 
  in 
  keeping 
  them 
  in 
  check. 
  Ground-squirrels 
  

   also 
  feed 
  freely 
  upon 
  them, 
  thus 
  compensating 
  by 
  their 
  protection 
  of 
  

   the 
  meadows 
  for 
  their 
  occasional 
  raids 
  upon 
  corn 
  fields 
  in 
  spring. 
  

  

  Common 
  experience 
  enforces 
  the 
  conclusion 
  to 
  be 
  drawn 
  from 
  the 
  

   foregoing 
  life 
  history, 
  that 
  beets 
  should 
  not 
  be 
  planted 
  on 
  a 
  spring- 
  

   plowing 
  of 
  sod, 
  since 
  this 
  is 
  very 
  likely 
  to 
  be 
  infested 
  with 
  cutworms, 
  

   which 
  will 
  commonly 
  continue 
  their 
  attack 
  upon 
  the 
  young 
  crop 
  at 
  least 
  

   until 
  the 
  early 
  summer 
  months. 
  A 
  sod 
  plowed 
  in 
  late 
  summer 
  or 
  early 
  

   fall, 
  is, 
  however, 
  commonly 
  free 
  from 
  these 
  insects, 
  especially 
  if 
  it 
  be 
  

   broken 
  so 
  early 
  as 
  to 
  offer 
  no 
  temptation 
  to 
  the 
  female 
  moths 
  flying 
  

   abroad 
  in 
  summer 
  in 
  search 
  of 
  suitable 
  situations 
  for 
  the 
  deposit 
  of 
  

   their 
  eggs. 
  The 
  margins 
  of 
  fields 
  may 
  notwithstanding 
  be 
  invaded, 
  and 
  

   the 
  crop 
  be 
  seriously 
  injured 
  by 
  cutworms 
  coming 
  in 
  from 
  grass-lands 
  

   adjacent, 
  and 
  in 
  this 
  case 
  either 
  collecting 
  by 
  hand 
  or 
  poisoning 
  may 
  

   be 
  resorted 
  to. 
  A 
  very 
  useful 
  poisoned 
  bait 
  for 
  cutworms, 
  and 
  for 
  

   grasshoppers 
  as 
  well, 
  is 
  made 
  by 
  stirring 
  together 
  fifty 
  pounds 
  of 
  bran 
  

   and 
  a 
  pound 
  of 
  Paris 
  green, 
  and 
  making 
  of 
  this 
  a 
  rather 
  stiff 
  mash 
  with 
  

   sweetened 
  water. 
  If 
  a 
  tablespoonful 
  or 
  two 
  of 
  this 
  mixture 
  be 
  placed 
  

   at 
  close 
  intervals 
  along 
  the 
  rows 
  of 
  beets 
  in 
  the 
  evening, 
  the 
  cutworms 
  

   will 
  eat 
  it 
  in 
  preference 
  to 
  the 
  living 
  plant, 
  and 
  will 
  thus 
  be 
  killed. 
  

   Sirrine, 
  of 
  New 
  York, 
  recommends 
  especially 
  a 
  mixture 
  of 
  one 
  pound 
  

   of 
  Paris 
  green 
  to 
  twenty 
  pounds 
  of 
  a 
  mixture 
  of 
  equal 
  parts 
  of 
  bran 
  and 
  

   middlings, 
  and 
  this 
  he 
  says 
  is 
  most 
  effective 
  when 
  used 
  dry. 
  About 
  

  

  