HABITS. The presence of cutworms becomes noticeable in a field as 

 soon as the plants are set out or when the seeds have begun to sprout- 

 Plants all through the field will have fallen or will have disappeared. If 

 examined they will be found to have been cut off at the surface or a little 

 below the surface of the ground by the cutworms and this injury continues 

 until the worms are full grown. 



ENEMIES. Because of their large size and hairless bodies these insects 

 are an easy pray to many enemies. The robin is especially effective as it 

 destroys more than any other bird. Poultry, especially chickens, destroy 

 many of them and if trained to follow the plow they will do effective work. 

 The beetle larvae known as the cutworm Hon and the cutworm dragon, as 

 well as the toad, help much to keep this insect pest in check. 



REMEDIES. There are two kinds of remedies to be applied to this in- 

 sect : preventive and destructive. Of the former clean ailttne is the most 

 important. As the moths usually deposit their eggs in rank growth, it is 

 advisable where the land is not seeded down to keep it clean and not let it 

 grow up to weeds. Fall plowing will in many cases prove quite beneficial, 

 provided it is done early. 



If on preparing a field for planting any crop liable to attack, cutworms are 

 noticed as abundant, complete the preparation of the field, then spray some 

 clover heavily with Paris green, and then cut the clover and scatter it here 

 and there over the field. The cutworms coming up after food will feed on 

 this and be poisoned. 



After a crop is in a different treatment is necessary. In such cases pre- 

 pare a bran mash made of fifty pounds of bran or middlings, one pound of 

 Paris green, two quarts of molasses to sweeten, and water to make a dough 

 or mash. Place a little of this at the base of each plant in the latter part of 

 the afternoon, and keep fowls away. The cutworms coming up to feed at 

 night will find in this mash a food they prefer, because of its sweetness, to 

 the plant stem and will feed on it instead. In this way nearly all of these 

 pests will be destroyed and it is not often necessary to repeat this treatment. 



A recently discovered and very effective modification of this last method 

 of control is as follows. Take 20 lbs. of coarse flaked bran, i lb. of Paris 

 green, 2 quarts of molasses, and 6 oranges or lemons. Stir the molasses 

 into a gallon of water; add the juice of the fruits and their rinds finely 

 chopped ; stir in the Paris green and bran, adding enough more water to 

 make into a dough dry enough so it can be spread broadcast by hand, and 

 spread the whole over the field at or after sunset, The success of this 

 method is largely dependent upon getting the fruit flavor and some' of the 

 Paris green on each flake of the bran, making these flakes both attractive 

 and poisonous to the cutworms ; therefore mix thoroughly. The amount 

 given above should be enough to cover from 3 to 5 acres. 



In gardens considerable protection may be obtained by sinking a stiff 

 paper cylinder into the ground around the stem of each plant. 



