104 FIELD CROPS 



year or so following the breaking up of sod land. The 

 beetles deposit their eggs in sod land, and the following spring 

 the eggs hatch in the form of small, reddish-brown, shiny 

 worms. These worms live in the soil for a couple of years 

 before they change into the beetle form. On this account 

 they give trouble longer than do cutworms. 



Treatment. The most effective manner of combating 

 these worms is fall plowing, which disturbs the eggs and con- 

 sequently causes many of them to be destroyed. However, 

 this is not entirely effective, and if trouble is experienced 

 with them it is often desirable to grow grain or other crops 

 for a year or two on the fields before planting to corn. The 

 wireworms attack the grain crops, but because there are so 

 many more plants than in a field of corn they dp not often 

 cause serious damage. 



126. Cutworms. Cutworms are one of the most com- 

 mon enemies of the corn crop. Like wireworms, they are 

 common only in or near sod land. They are usually grayish- 

 brown in color, and are from 1 to 1}^ inches long. There are, 

 however, many different kinds. Cutworms attack the corn 

 plants at night and cut them off just at the surface of the 

 ground. Fields of corn are often completely destroyed 

 by them. 



Treatment. Fall plowing, as suggested for wireworms, 

 is somewhat effective with cutworms, though they are not 

 entirely controlled by this treatment. Thorough cultiva- 

 tion until corn planting time is also effective, as many of the 

 worms are injured by the cultivation, and if nothing is allowed 

 to grow they have difficulty in getting food. Deferring 

 planting for two to three weeks is an excellent preventive 

 as the most active season for the worms is during the early 

 growing period of the corn crop. The most efficient method 

 of control is rotation of crops, with fields left in grass not 



