﻿212 
  NEW 
  YORK 
  STATE 
  MUSEUM 
  

  

  Encouragi7ig 
  natural 
  enemies 
  Among 
  the 
  roost 
  beneficial 
  may 
  be 
  

  

  counted 
  many 
  of 
  our 
  insectivorous 
  birds. 
  They 
  have, 
  repeatedly 
  been 
  

   observed 
  feeding 
  on 
  the 
  army-worms 
  in 
  badly 
  infested 
  fields. 
  If 
  the 
  

   grain 
  fields 
  are 
  not 
  sown 
  too 
  thickly, 
  not 
  only 
  is 
  a 
  better 
  crop 
  secured, 
  

   but 
  the 
  birds, 
  having 
  more 
  wing 
  room 
  in 
  the 
  grain, 
  will 
  feed 
  to 
  a 
  much 
  

   larger 
  extent 
  on 
  the 
  caterpillars. 
  Unfortunately, 
  little 
  can 
  be 
  done 
  

   toward 
  encouraging 
  the 
  insect 
  enemies 
  of 
  the 
  army-worm 
  beyond 
  pro- 
  

   tecting 
  them 
  so 
  far 
  as 
  possible, 
  and 
  giving 
  them 
  the 
  favorable 
  conditions 
  

   that 
  may 
  attract 
  them. 
  

  

  Watching 
  for 
  indications. 
  — 
  The 
  measures 
  given 
  above 
  are 
  not 
  to 
  be 
  

   depended 
  upon 
  entirely, 
  even 
  though 
  carried 
  out 
  to 
  the 
  letter. 
  They 
  

   should 
  be 
  supplemented 
  by 
  watchfulness. 
  If 
  the 
  army-worm 
  commences 
  

   its 
  operations 
  in 
  a 
  field 
  in 
  unusual 
  abandance, 
  it 
  is 
  of 
  the 
  utmost 
  import- 
  

   ance 
  that 
  Its 
  presence 
  should 
  be 
  known 
  at 
  once. 
  The 
  discovery 
  is 
  usually 
  

   made, 
  and 
  advice 
  sought 
  in 
  the 
  matter, 
  when 
  it 
  is 
  too 
  late 
  to 
  save 
  more 
  

   than 
  a 
  scanty 
  half 
  or 
  less 
  of 
  the 
  crop 
  attacked. 
  It 
  is 
  not 
  a 
  difiicult 
  task 
  

   to 
  discover 
  the 
  caterpillars 
  some 
  days 
  before 
  they 
  are 
  usually 
  seen, 
  and 
  

   no 
  man 
  should 
  begrudge 
  the 
  time 
  devoted 
  to 
  the 
  search. 
  The 
  thickest 
  

   portion 
  of 
  a 
  field 
  should 
  be 
  examined 
  for 
  their 
  small 
  black 
  or 
  brown 
  

   droppings, 
  and 
  the 
  condition 
  of 
  the 
  lower 
  leaves 
  of 
  the 
  grass 
  or 
  grain 
  

   noticed. 
  If 
  the 
  leaves 
  are 
  injured 
  or 
  absent, 
  something 
  has 
  been 
  eating 
  

   them. 
  The 
  enemy 
  may 
  be 
  found 
  hidden 
  under 
  loose 
  shelter 
  of 
  any 
  kind 
  

   on 
  the 
  ground 
  or 
  just 
  below 
  the 
  surface, 
  or 
  when 
  very 
  small, 
  upon 
  the 
  

   plants. 
  If 
  they 
  are 
  discovered 
  before 
  serious 
  injury 
  has 
  been 
  done 
  to 
  the 
  

   crop, 
  it 
  is 
  comparatively 
  easy 
  to 
  decide 
  whether 
  or 
  not 
  to 
  cut 
  it 
  at 
  once. 
  

   If 
  the 
  field 
  is 
  thickly 
  infested, 
  they 
  will 
  destroy 
  the 
  crop 
  unless 
  it 
  is 
  taken 
  

   from 
  them. 
  

  

  The 
  commencement 
  of 
  an 
  army-worm 
  attack, 
  as 
  above 
  noted, 
  will 
  

   rarely 
  be 
  detected. 
  It 
  is 
  only 
  when 
  their 
  operations 
  can 
  no 
  longer 
  be 
  

   hidden 
  from 
  ordinary 
  observation 
  that 
  alarm 
  is 
  excited, 
  and 
  the 
  necessity 
  

   of 
  active 
  measures 
  for 
  arresting 
  their 
  destructive 
  marches 
  from 
  field 
  to 
  

   field 
  becomes 
  apparent. 
  Some 
  of 
  the 
  following 
  measures 
  will 
  then 
  be 
  

   found 
  of 
  service 
  : 
  

  

  Lime, 
  dust^ 
  etc. 
  — 
  If 
  the 
  army-worms 
  are 
  numerous 
  in 
  a 
  field 
  — 
  at 
  an 
  

   early 
  stage 
  in 
  their 
  operations, 
  it 
  would 
  p'-obably 
  be 
  wise 
  to 
  cut 
  the 
  

   crop 
  at 
  once 
  and 
  save 
  what 
  is 
  left 
  of 
  it, 
  although 
  air-slaked 
  lime, 
  land 
  

   plaster, 
  or 
  even 
  road 
  dust 
  freely 
  distributed 
  over 
  the 
  vegetation 
  when 
  it 
  

   is 
  wet 
  with 
  dew 
  or 
  rain, 
  would 
  render 
  it 
  unpalaiable 
  to 
  the 
  caterpillars- 
  

   and 
  compel 
  them 
  to 
  seek 
  other 
  food. 
  

  

  