31 



The Army Worm in Massachusetts. 



The history of the army worm in Massachusetts is of more 

 than ordinary interest, since it affords an excellent idea of 

 the periods of time usually elapsing between the outbreaks 

 of this insect. It is recorded* that in 1632 "the worms 

 made extensive ravages on the corn," while 1646 and 1649 

 "were caterpillar years." In 1666 "the Indian corn 

 was eaten by worms." There is of course much doubt 

 concerning the species of insect causing the above-men- 

 tioned damage to crops, but by some it is thought to have 

 been the army worm. Later records are more authentic : 

 1743, — " Millions of devouring worms in armies, threat- 

 ening to cut off every green thing." 1762, — " At last, 

 when the corn was planted, millions of worms appeared 

 to eat it up." 1770, — "A very uncommon sort of a 

 worm .... ate the corn and grass all as they went 

 above ground, which cut short the crops in many places." 

 Of this last-mentioned occurrence of the army worm the 

 Rev. Grant Powers has written f : "In the summer of 

 1770 this whole section was visited by an extraordinary 

 calamity, such a one as the country never experienced 

 before or since, beyond what I shall here specify. It was 

 an army of worms, which extended from Lancaster, N. H., 

 to Northfield, in Massachusetts. They began to appear 

 the latter part of July, 1770, and continued their ravages 

 until September. The inhabitants denominated them the 

 ' Northern Army,' as they seemed to advance from the 

 north or north-west and to pass east and south, although 

 I do not learn that they ever passed the high lands be- 

 'tween the Connecticut and Merrimack rivers. They were 



altogether too innumerable for multitude There 



were fields of corn on the meadows in Haverhill and 

 Newbury standing so thick, large and tall that in some 

 instances it was difficult to see a man standing more than 

 one rod in the field from the outermost row ; but in ten 

 days from the first appearance of this Northern Army 

 nothing remained of this corn but the bare stalks ! " 



The farmers of Worcester and vicinity suffered severely 

 from the ravages of this insect in grass lands during the 

 summer of 1817, when it is recorded that " their progress 



* Agriculture of Massachusetts. Clias. L. Flint, 1854. 



t Historical sketches of the CoOs County (N. H.), 1841. '^^^- *• 



