

AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. L95 



not destroy the insects. Destructive are those tlmt attempt to 

 effectually remove the cause of the injury by aiming at the life of 

 the insect. 



PREVENTIVE REMEDIES. 



a. Application of chemicals or other substances to the soil, which 

 do not poison the worms hut makes their food unpalatable. They 

 do not seem to relish salt like the higher animals, and its use is 

 highly recommended by Lintner and others. A handful is applied 

 on the surface to each hill. Soaking the seed in Copperas v:ater, 

 one pound to the bushel of seed, allowing it to remain twelve 

 hours, and then rolling it in plaster, would come under this head. 

 This method is strongly recommended by Lintner. Tobacco has 

 been used successfully to protect cabbage plants. It is put under 

 the surface around the plants. 



b. By protecting the plants so the ivorms cannot reach them. 

 Under this head would come wrapping cabbage and other set 

 plants with brown paper, burdock, walnut, or other leaves, or 

 surrounding the base of the plants with tin or paper tubes or 

 frames. Paper frames should be made broader at the top to pre- 

 vent the worms crawling up the sides and set a little below the 

 surface of the soil at the bottom. Tin tubes are much more dur- 

 able. They can be made of slips of tin 2 in. by 10, bent in the 

 form of a cylinder, and bent so as to loop at each end. They 

 should be painted inside to prevent burning the plants by the sun. 

 Bands can be made of tin and put around the base of fruit trees 

 to protect them from climbing cut- worms. 



Fitch recommended digging a shallow trench with perpendicular 

 sides around the garden. This is based upon the belief that cut- 

 worms travel to the cultivated ground from the adjoining meadows 

 and pastures to feed upon the tender, cultivated plants. 



c. By thick planting so as to have a good stand left after the 

 worms have been fully fed. As Pitch expresses it, "plant one 

 seed for the blackbird, two for the crow, three for the cut-worm 

 and three to grow." 



d. By dusting the foliage with dry poicders like hellebore, ashes, 

 or air slacked lime, to make it unpalatable to the worms. 



DESTRUCriVE REMEDIES. 



a. Early plowing in the Fall. This destroys the weeds upon 

 which the young worms feed and they starve. After summer 

 crops are harvested the weeds are usually allowed to grow, giving 

 the worms abundant food. 



