CORN MOTH. 



CORN SALAD. 



it had long been known, and had multiplied to 

 an alarming extent. The Angoumois moth, or 

 Jlnarainpsis cereulella, in its perfected state, is a 

 four-winged insect, about three-eighths of an 

 inch long, when its wings are shut. It has a 

 pair of tapering curved feelers, turned over its 

 head. Its upper wings are narrow, of a light 

 brown colour, without spots, and have the 

 lustre of satin ; they cover the body horizon- 

 tally above, but droop a little at the sides. The 

 lower wings and the rest of the body are ash- 

 coloured. This moth lays its eggs, which 

 vary in number from sixty to ninety, in clus- 

 ters, on the ears of wheat, rye, and barley, most 

 often while these plants are growing in the 

 field, and the ears are young and tender; some- 

 times also on stored grain in the autumn. 

 Hence it appears that they breed twice a year; 

 the insects from the eggs laid in the early part 

 of summer, coming to perfection and providing 

 for another brood of moth-worms in the autumn. 

 The little worm-like caterpillars, as soon as 

 they are hatched, disperse, and each one se- 

 lects a single grain, into which it burrows im- 

 mediately at the most tender part, and remains 

 concealed therein after the grain is harvested. 

 It devours the mealy substance within the hull; 

 .and this destruction goes on so secretly, that it 

 can only be detected by the softness of the 

 grain or the loss of its weight. When fully 

 grown this caterpillar is not more than one- 

 fifth of an inch long. It is of a white colour, 

 with a brownish head; and it has six small 

 jointed legs, and ten extremely small wart-like 

 proplegs. Duhamel has represented it as 

 having two little horns just behind the head, 

 and two short bristles at the end of its tapering 

 body. Having eaten out the heart of the grain, 

 which is just enough for all its wants, it spins 

 a silken web or curtain to divide the hollow, 

 lengthwise, into two unequal parts, the smaller 

 containing the rejected fragments of its food, 

 and the larger cavity serving instead of a co- 

 coon, wherein the insect undergoes its trans- 

 formations. Before turning to a chrysalis it 

 gnaws a small hole nearly or quite through the 

 hull, and sometimes also through the chaitY 

 covering of the grain, through which it can 

 make its escape easily when it becomes a 

 winged moth. The insects of the first, or sum- 

 mer brood, come to maturity in about three 

 weeks, remain but a short time in the chrysalis 

 state, and turn to winged moths in the autumn, 

 and at this time may be found, in the evening, 

 in great numbers, laying their eggs on the 

 grain stored in barns and granaries. The 

 moth-worms of the second brood remain in the 

 grain through the winter, and do not change to 

 winged insects till the following summer, when 

 they come out, fly into the fields in the night, 

 and lay their eggs on the young ears of the 

 growing grain. When damaged grain is sown, 

 it comes up very thin ; the infected kernels 

 never sprout, but the insects lodged in them 

 remain alive, finish their transformations in the 

 field, and in due time come out of the ground 

 in the winged form. 



" It has been proved by erperience that the 

 ravages of the two kinds of grain-moths, whose 

 history has been now given, can be effectually 



checked by drying the damaged grain in an. 

 oven or kiln; and that a heat of one hundred 

 and sixty-seven degrees, by Fahrenheit's ther- 

 mometer, continued during twelve hours, will 

 kill the insects in all their forms. Indeed, the 

 heat may be reduced to one hundred and four 

 degrees, with the same effect, but the grain 

 must then be exposed to it for the space of two 

 days. The other means, that have been em- 

 ployed for the preservation of grain from these 

 destructive moths, it is unnecessary to de- 

 scribe ; they are probably well known to most 

 of our farmers and millers, and are rarely so 

 effectual as the process above mentioned." 

 (Harris's Treatise Oil Infects.') 



From these considerations, the means which 

 the agriculturist must employ to secure his 

 grain from so dangerous an enemy, are clearly 

 deducible. First of all, the lofts, before the 

 corn is placed in them, must be carefully ex- 

 amined, and the cocoons, if any are discover- 

 ed, got rid of. Sprinkling the floor with a 

 mixture of strong white wine vinegar and salt, 

 before laying up the corn, is strongly to be re- 

 commended. Sweeping the floor and walls 

 thoroughly should not be neglected ; ami the 

 dust should be removed immediately, in order 

 that the larvae may not find their way back into 

 the corn-heaps. Common salt will also purify 

 the infested grain. One of the surest remedies 

 appears to be a free ventilation, by means of 

 an artificial degree of cold, as the larvre can 

 only live in a temperature of 55 to 60 of Fahr. 

 Bats and spiders are the principal natural ene- 

 mies of the corn-moth, and some small birds 

 also feed on them. See GRAIX WKKVIL. (Trea- 

 tise on Insects, fyc., by J. and M. London.) 



CORN POPPY (Papaver rhceus). PI. 10, t. 

 Indifferently called red-poppy, corn rose, cop- 

 rose, head-wark, red-weed, red-mailkes, &c. A 

 troublesome weed in corn fields. Annual, 

 flowering from June to July. Beautiful varie- 

 ties of this species, with semi-double flowers, 

 \-;n legated with rose-colour and white, are 

 easily cultivated for ornament, but liable to de- 

 generate in luxuriance. (Smith's Eng. Flor. vol. 

 iii. p. 11 ; Sinclair's Weeds, p. 46.) See POPPY, 



FlKI.1.. 



CORN SALAD, or LAMB'S LETTUCE 



(Fcdia nlitoria, Smith; Valeriana locust a, Lin). 

 A well-known annual weed in corn fields and 

 light cultivated ground, which probably took 

 its common English name from the circum- 

 stance of the plants appearing in flower about 

 the time that lambs are dropped. There is a 

 second species (F. dent at a), oval fruited corn 

 snluff. The common variety is cultivated for 

 winter and spring salads, and for this purpose 

 has been long known. The first dish formerly 

 brought to table was a red herring set in a corn 

 salad. The plant will flourish in any soil that 

 is not particularly heavy. It is propagated by 

 seed, sown in February and the two following 

 months, and once a month during the summer; 

 but it is not so palatable during this season. 

 Lastly, during August and early in September, 

 the plants from which will be fit for use in 

 early spring, or during the winter if mild. The 

 seed may be sown in drills six inches apart, or 

 broadcast, and raked in. Keep them free from 



357 



