BULLETIN 192. INSECTS INJURIOUS TO THE VINE. 127 



the climbing habit that attack vines, they require a different manner 

 of treatment from those which feed upon plants at or near the surface. 

 Because they actually devour the buds of the vine, the application of 

 a poison spray ought to be effective. However, since the surface on 

 which there may be poison in the case of buds is so small, one worm 

 may destroy most of the buds on an ordinary-sized vine before the dose 

 eaten will prove fatal. Probably one of the best ways of fighting these 

 is to place poisoned bait around the base of the vine. (For the ingre- 

 dients see under Grasshoppers, page 123.) This will be eaten by the 

 worms in preference to climbing up the vines and destroying the buds. 

 They may also be captured by means of traps. Because of their habit 

 of feeding at night and remaining concealed during the day, pieces of 

 boards may be placed on the ground around the vine and these may be 

 turned over during the day and the worms killed. 



In case of outbreaks of army worms the most important and success- 

 ful means of fighting them is to keep them out of the vineyards 

 entirely. This can be successfully done if they are discovered in time, 

 or if already in one portion they can be kept from spreading over the 

 rest of the vineyard. They travel in immense numbers in a definite 

 direction, coming generally from an adjoining or nearby grain field. If 

 a furrow is plowed along the side of the vineyard to be protected it will 

 effectively stop their progress. This furrow should be plowed as deep 

 as possible, with the vertical side next to the field to be protected. It 

 can be further trimmed with a spade, preferably cutting under slightly, 

 making a smooth surface, over which few if any, of the worms will 

 make their way. Above this shoulder fine pulverized earth should 

 slope as abruptly upward as possible. If any of the worms succeed in 

 climbing up over the smooth surface made by the spade they will be 

 pretty sure to fall back as they reach this fine loose earth in an attempt 

 to ascend over the projecting shoulder. Postholes should be dug. on 

 the straight edge of the furrow every fifteen or twenty feet. The worms 

 in failing to scale the vertical side of the furrow will crawl along in the 

 bottom and fall into these holes. Here they may be killed by pouring 

 in a little crude oil, or by pouring in a little distillate and dropping in 

 a match, thus burning them, or the holes filled in and others dug. They 

 may also be killed in the furrow by sprinkling them with kerosene or 

 by pouring a strip of crude oil along the furrow. 



It is most essential in fighting army worms that prompt and vigorous 

 efforts be undertaken immediately, since a day's delay may mean con- 

 siderable loss and more difficulty in handling the situation. Once they 

 are in the vineyard the vines infested should be heavily sprayed with 

 lead arsenate at the rate of five pounds to fifty gallons of water, or 

 with paris green in the proportion of one pound to seventy-five or one 

 hundred gallons of water. In addition to this the furrow should be 



