190 Forty-fifth Report on the State Museum. 



inch below the surface. If the children, with a tin pail in hand holding 

 some water with kerosene on its top, will go through the fields, and, 

 working away the ground with their fingers, pick out the worms and 

 drop them into the pail, much good will be accomplished. At Goshen, 

 it was not unusual for a child to fill a quart pail in going over a field 

 in this manner. Night collections, with the aid of a lantern, should be 

 made, when the caterpillars, if small, will be seen at work upon the tops 

 of the plants, or, if larger, catting off the plants near the base for food* 

 or traveling over the ground. If, as possible, they are too abundant 

 for hand-picking (although at Goshen entire nights of whole families 

 were devoted to the work), then I would advise spraying at night with 

 a kerosene emulsion for killing them. 



The emulsion is easily made in the following manner : Dissolve in 

 one gallon of boiling water, one-half pound of hard soap or a half- 

 gallon of soft soap, and, by the aid of a force pump, mix with the 

 solution one quart of kerosene until of a uniform mixture and wholly 

 emulsified. Add to this enough water to make two gallons of liquid. 

 This will give one part of kerosene to eight of the liquid, which should 

 kill all the worms that it comes in contact with, without injuring the 

 plants. If, however, found necessary, the proportion of kerosene could 

 be increased. The above could be applied at night with a force-pump, 

 or with any suitable sprinkler. Mr. P. C. Lewis of Catskill, N. Y., 

 makes a pump which would be good for this purpose, at a cost of 

 $5.50. A circular explaining it would be sent on application. 



At Goshen it was found that a simple solution of a quart of soft 

 soap in seven quarts of water, sprinkled over the plants, protected 

 them from attack and also killed those of the worms that it reached. 

 This is so simple that perhaps it might be first tried before resorting to 

 the other remedies. 



I trust that the above remarks will be adapted to present wants. 

 Later, I will advise as to the best methods of preventing a recurrence 

 of the attack another year, through preparation of the ground. I need 

 hardly remark that the insect could not have been carried to your 

 locality in the seed, as you suggested may have been done. You doubt- 

 less had it with you in preceding years, but not in remarkable numbers. 

 For some reason the present year has been very favorable for its mul- 

 tiplication. The " black cut-worm " is known as a very general feeder, 

 often proving destructive to strawberry plants, but I find no record of 

 its injuries to onions. Very truly yours. 



I was unable to visit the locality in season for observation of the 

 attack, but learned that it ceased a week or two thereafter, doubtless 



