126 REPORT 4, UNITED STATES ENTOMOLOGICAL COMMISSION. 



Some experiments witli road dust, but more with a view to drive the 

 worms off, were carried on and will be recorded later. It suffices to 

 state here that the results obtained render it highly probable that a 

 thick coating of dust not only protects the plants from worms but would 

 also prevent oviposition of the moth. There is also but little doubt 

 that flour, ashes, in short every pulverized material that can be made to 

 adhere thickly to the plant, and especially to the underside of the leaves, 

 could be substituted for road dust. 



Early application of direct remedies. — As preventive meas- 

 ures we must further consider the early ap]3lication of the direct reme- 

 dies, in other words, every attempt to destroy the insect early in the 

 season before it is numerous enough to do much injury. The remedies 

 themselves will be discussed later on ; it suffices to sixy that we have to 

 deal here with the destruction of the hibernating moths, or those of the 

 first generations, and the poisoning of the first worms. The importance 

 of either method is too apparent to need further advocating, but the ap- 

 parent advantage disappears to a large extent upon practical considera- 

 tion. The gravest obstacle is that the concerted action of the planters 

 over an extended area is necessary to iusure a decided success in the 

 early application of direct remedies, the work of the individual planter, 

 or even of the majority of them, being more or less frustrated if a portion 

 remain passive. 



Without suitable laws to enforce concerted action, there is but little 

 prospect of making much headway in the general adoption of preventive 

 measures of this character. Still the individual planter would do well 

 not to omit any opportunity to destroy either the first moths, or the first 

 worms. 



Poisoned sweets should be placed at suitable localities on warm even- 

 ings during the earliest part of the season, say from the beginning of 

 February till the middle of April. With each female moth caught in 

 this way the planter might save a great deal of the expense in poison- 

 ing the worms ; and not only could Aletia moths be destroyed in this 

 way, but also other hibernating moths, a great many of which are the 

 parents of destructive Cut-worms. The poisoning of the first worms 

 requires knowledge of places, usually limited in extent, where they occur, 

 and this is not always easily obtained in large fields. The field-hands 

 should be instructed to watch carefully, while cultivating the field, for 

 evidence of the work of the first worms, and when such places are dis- 

 covered the application of poison should never be neglected. The pois- 

 oning of limited areas where the first worms occur requires but little 

 outlay of time and money. The children should be made thoroughly 

 familiar with the appearance of the worm and its work, and should be 

 sent over the field at least once a week during the months of April and 

 May in order to discover the places where the first worms occur. The 

 worms could then easily be destroyed by hand-picking or by immediate 

 application of i)oison. 



