248 AGRONOMY 



wrapped in such a way that the poison cannot penetrate to 

 the edible portion of the head. The small white butterfly, so 

 common in cabbage patches, is the mature form of this species. 



Currant worm. Two broods of the currant worm occur 

 annually : the first appears before the fruit is ripe ; the second 

 about midsummer. The currant worm is a green- and black- 

 spotted larva and so voracious that a small colony will defo- 

 liate a currant or gooseberry bush in a very short time if not 

 checked. It is easily controlled by poisons, white hellebore 

 being one of the best for use in small gardens. 



Tomato worm. The tomato worm is a very large, smooth 

 green worm with a hornlike projection at one end and oblique 

 white markings on its sides. On account of its large size it is 

 easily located by the gardener and falls an easy prey to para- 

 sitic insects. It passes the pupa stage in the earth and is often 

 dug up when the ground is spaded in spring. At this stage it 

 may be identified by a curved projection extending down one 

 side like a handle. At maturity it becomes one of the sphinx 

 or humming-bird moths often seen about long-tubed flowers 

 in the late afternoon. A related species does much damage 

 to crops of tobacco. 



Corn-ear worm. The corn-ear worm is closely allied to the 

 cutworms and army worms, but is found on or within the re- 

 productive parts of the corn plant. It destroys the tassel by 

 eating it off, and later creeps down into the ear between the 

 husks and the cob, eating the kernels as it goes and ruining the 

 ear for food. There is no known preventive for it at present. 



Tent caterpillar. The webworms, or tent caterpillars, are 

 readily recognized by the webs they spin on trees and bushes 

 and within which they feed. These webs may be removed and 

 the insects destroyed by burning them out with a torch made 

 of a piece of cloth wound about the end of a pole and saturated 

 with kerosene. A corncob soaked in oil and fastened to a pole 

 also makes a good torch. 



