266 FIELD CROPS FOR THE COTTON-BELT 



a few weeks, leave the plant and change to the pupa stage 

 in the earth close by, from which the beetles emerge one 

 to two weeks later. Several broods are produced in the 

 course of a season." 1 



The bud-worm injures the corn plants during their 

 early growth, particularly when they are from one to ten 

 inches high. It is worse on low moist bottom lands. 



Preventive measures are based largely on the time of 

 planting. Lands subject to the ravages of this insect 

 should not be planted until rather late in the season. 

 Some farmers insist that bud-worm injury can be escaped 

 by either very early or very late planting. Unquestionably 

 the corn planted in midseason suffers most. Any treat- 

 ment that stimulates a rapid growth of the plants seems 

 to reduce the injury from bud- worms. Small amounts 

 of nitrate of soda are sometimes applied at planting time 

 for this purpose. 



322. Cut- worms (Noctuidce). There are several spe- 

 cies of cut-worms that injure corn. They are all thick- 

 bodied caterpillars of a brown, blackish, or grayish color, 

 and constitute the larval stage of night-flying moths. 

 During the winter months the larvae rest in an inactive 

 state in the soil. When spring comes they feed on any 

 green, succulent young plants that, they can find. They eat 

 off the young corn plants near the surface of the ground, 

 often dragging the cut plants partially into the soil. Most 

 of their injury is done at night unless the weather is cloudy, 

 in which case they work during the day also. They are 

 worse on sod land or land that has borne a heavy crop of 

 weeds. 



For combating or evading cut-worms the important 

 remedial measures are: (1) Early fall or winter plowing 

 1 N. C. Dep't of Agr., Bui. 196, p. 23. 



