A LITTLE-KNOWN CUTWORM. 49 



Some of the larvae obtained from this source were kept for rear- 

 ing in this bureau. The first adult issued May 20, and others trans- 

 formed to moths September 15 and 20. 



During the first days of September, 1910, in an extremely heated 

 spell, this species attracted attention on the farm of Mr. B. C. Haines, 

 n?ar Shelton, Va. Mr. Haines was advised to use arsenate of lead 

 at the rate of 4 pounds in 50 gallons of water, and when the writer 

 visited the infested locality a few days later he found that this 

 remedy was producing excellent results. It should be mentioned 

 that on Mr. Haines's farms truck plants are grown in alternate 

 years, so as to produce four alternate crops. In this case parsley, 

 growing between rows of lettuce, was badly affected. As soon as the 

 lettuce was cut for market parsley began to appear and was cut off 

 by the worms even with the ground, so that only a few plants could be 

 seen here and there. The farm is being conducted by irrigation, both 

 overhead and by means of hose, and it is probable that the prompt 

 success in the use of arsenate of lead was doubtless due to the fact 

 that the insects were watered, and thus cooled, at night and heated 

 again by the extremely hot weather occurring during the day. It 

 was found impossible to trace the occurrence of this species earlier 

 in the season, and it was finally agreed between Mr. Haines and the 

 writer that in all probability the cutworms had been introduced with 

 stable manure grown up freely with grass and weeds which had been 

 used when the lettuce and parsley were first planted. They could 

 not have come from any outside source or from any earlier crop. 

 The success of Mr. Haines in his treatment of this pest is shown in 

 the accompanying abstract from his letter. 



RESULTS FROM APPLICATIONS OF ARSENATE OF LEAD. 



Norfolk, Va., November 18, 1910. 



I received your letter of the 16th instant, in regard to the cutworms on my 

 parsley and the ravages of the army worm in this section this fall. As you 

 remember, I had a hard fight with the cutworms on my parsley field, but I 

 feel fully compensated for my work and expense in fighting them. I had 

 several places in each bed where I had to reset plants where the cutworms 

 cut them off, but aside from those few spots I have a perfect stand and am 

 now marketing my crop, and I wish you could see that crop. The best out- 

 look I have ever had. 



I kept constantly spraying my parsley with arsenate of lead (4 pounds to 

 50 gallons of water), and in all I think I gave it five applications. * * * 



B. C. Haines. 



It should be added to the above that a careful survey of the in- 

 fested field by the author showed plainly that an arsenical was the 

 only remedy that could be conveniently used after the outbreak was 

 at its height. It should be added also that the arsenate of lead was 

 not applied five successive times on the same plants. 



