110 INSECT PESTS OF FARM, GARDEN AND ORCHARD 



especially during the outbreaks of more recent years in Kansas 

 and neighboring states. Preparation of the poison is frequently 

 under the direction of the county agent and the Experiment Station 

 representatives and the distribution is a community or even a 

 county problem, in some cases poisoning being required by local 

 ruling. Tons of paris green have been used in a single county 

 in one year during a serious outbreak and the result has well re- 

 paid the expense and labor. A substitute which has been used 

 considerably is the Griddle mixture, prepared by poisoning about 

 100 pounds of fresh horse manure with one pound paris green 

 and using it in the same manner as the bran mash. The poisoned 

 bran mash is now regarded as the most effective means for the 

 control of all grasshoppers which are commonly injurious. 



The Army Worm * 



Almost every year some locality reports serious injury to 

 crops by armies of caterpillars, which have not been previously 

 known for many years. This being the case the farmers are 



at a loss for means to combat 

 them, and by the time the in- 

 formation has been secured the 

 pests have completed the damage. 

 The Army Worm occurs through- 

 out the United States east of the 

 Rocky Mountains and lives in 

 1 W 7 ran k growths of grass, which 

 form thenormal breeding-grounds. 

 When from an abundance of such 

 food, or through failure of the 

 parasitesto prevent their increase, 



the caterpillars become over- 



FIG. 92. Army-worm moth (Cirphus , , ,, ,, 



unipuncta), pupa, and eggs in natural abundant, they assume the army 

 position in a grass-leaf. Natural habit and march en masse, con- 

 size. (After Comstock.) suming all in their path. 



The next year their natural enemies will usually have them 

 under control again and there will be but little damage, and then 

 they will not be observed as injurious for a series of years, though 

 the moths are always fairly common. 



* Cirphus unipuncta Haworth. Family Noctuidce. 



