8 



be always the latter generation which causes the devasta- 

 tion and which marches in armies at times, giving the in- 

 sect its name. 



The army worm appears to feed generally in low meadows, 

 near swamps, and where various grasses have rank growth. 

 Its appearance in large armies is not a usual or normal 

 thing, but seems to be due to the exhaustion of its food or 

 to such great abundance as to force it to spread to other 

 places. In this spread the caterpillars all march in the 

 same direction until new food supplies are available, where 

 they continue feeding. The direction of the march varies 

 in different localities. Though usually feeding only on 

 grasses and grains, under the pressure of hunger, it may 

 attack peas, beets, lettuce, cabbage, cauliflower, pigweed, 

 cranberries and other plants. 



Losses and Methods of Control. 



The army worm may be very abundant without its 

 presence being known, when it is feeding on low and neg- 

 lected lands, around swamps and such places. When it 

 leaves these localities, though, and marches off in search 

 of more food, and particularly when it reaches and begins 

 to attack some crop of value, it is quickly noticed, and its 

 abundance usually develops the fear that the loss will be 

 very great. 



The present season has illustrated this condition. Reports 

 of enormous losses have been numerous from many places, 

 but personal visits to some of these have failed to indicate 

 any very great amount of destruction. Examination of 

 many places where the loss was estimated at as much as 

 $500 leads to the opinion that one-fifth of this amount 

 would be more nearly correct. 



A member of the State Board who visited various parts 

 of the towns of Bridgewater, Middleborough, Wareham, 

 Carver, Plympton and Plymouth during the height of the 

 invasion this year has supplied the following statement : — 



At the Bridgewater State Farm the army worms were very numer- 

 ous, though Mr. Bacon, the farmer there, stated that the attack was 

 not as bad as in 1896. The greatest injury was to oats and grass, and 



