15 



Cutworm. 

 Immediately after the plants are set the cutworm begins to 

 operate and is at times a serious enemy, not only causing a 

 lot of resetting, but, what is worse, causing an uneven crop of 

 tobacco that will not ripe evenly. A good remedy is a poisoned 

 mash made by mixing a pound of Paris green with a hundred 

 pounds of bran; this should be sweetened lightly with cheap 

 molasses, using water enough to make a stiff paste, and a 

 very little should be dropped beside each plant. This may be 

 done by hand at no great trouble or expense, or by a machine 

 made for the purpose and attached to the setter. Another way 

 is to mix 1 pound of Paris green with 50 pounds of red dog 

 flour, sifting a little on each plant. This is done with a home- 

 made sifter and is not an expensive operation. 



Wireworms. 



Sometimes, and especially in a cold, wet season the wire- 

 worm causes considerable trouble for the tobacco growers. 

 While the plant is small the worm will bore directly into the 

 heart of the stalk, and the plant will have the appearance of 

 being alive, yet will be dying all the time. The only remedy 

 is late plowing which not only kills the worm but will destroy 

 many of its egg cells. 



Horn IJ^orm. 



Early in July there will appear on the tobacco plant a small 

 green worm hatched from an egg about the size of the head of 

 a pin. This egg is laid by a moth that flies only at nightfall. 

 The worm will grow as large as a man's finger, and as it grows 

 will eat more and more ravenously. One worm will often spoil 

 two or three plants. Hand picking is the only remedy prac- 

 ticed in the valley. 



Grasshopper. 



The ordinary grasshopper will cause trouble occasionally, 

 especially if the field is next to a grass lot. After the grass is 

 cut, if the weather is dry and the rowen crop does not readily 

 start, the hopper will eat the leaves of the plant next to the 

 grass full of little round holes. Some growers protect their 

 field by planting two or three rows of corn between the tobacco 

 and the grass. 



