154 INSECTS INJURIOUS TO STAPLE CROPS. 



moths appears in northern Dekiware about the middle of 

 July, and the third brood during the first two weeks of 

 September. In northern Delaware only the hist brood 

 of worms in Sejotember is injurious, but in the southern 

 part of the State corn is injured at all seasons, but worst 

 in July and September. In Delaware but little corn is 

 canned after September 1st, but in Maryland, where it is 

 canned until frost, the late corn is always more or less 

 seriously injured. 



Reinedies. — As yet no thoroughly satisfactory method of 

 combating this pest upon corn is known. As the jmp^e 

 of the last brood in the fall hibernate in the ground over 

 winter, many of them may be killed by deep plowing late 

 in the fall or early in the spring, but as the moths are 

 strong fliers this probably would not appreciably lessen the 

 number of worms unless generally practiced throughout a 

 community. Evidently the time of planting is a point 

 Tvhich should be carefully considered. As the moths 

 prefer to lay their eggs on the silk, corn which is in silk 

 when they emerge from the ground will be most seriously 

 injured, while corn which has finished silking at that time 

 will be but little injured. Thus a few days' difference in 

 the time of planting may mean immunity from injury or 

 serious loss. In this locality corn planted between the 

 15th and 22d or 23d of June — the exact dates varying with 

 the season — escapes injury by the fall brood, but that 

 planted later than this is more or less injured, the later 

 plantings being injured worst. The time of appearance 

 of the different broods in different localities is therefore a 

 matter of considerable importance, and a careful study 

 may show that by proper planting injury can be largely 

 escaped. 



