﻿THE 
  ARMY 
  WORM 
  IN 
  NEW 
  JERSEY 
  IN 
  1S80. 
  139 
  

  

  ACCOUNT 
  OF 
  THE 
  INVASION 
  OF 
  1880 
  IN 
  NEW 
  JEESEY. 
  

   By 
  Rev. 
  Samuel 
  Lockwood, 
  Ph. 
  D. 
  

  

  "Caterpillars, 
  and 
  tliat 
  "without 
  number."— 
  i?t&Ze. 
  

  

  It 
  was 
  the 
  first 
  day 
  of 
  summer, 
  1880. 
  A 
  long, 
  parching 
  drought 
  had 
  

   prevailed, 
  and 
  one 
  felt 
  like 
  choking 
  in 
  the 
  hot 
  and 
  dusty 
  air. 
  Although 
  

   Flora's 
  brightest 
  month, 
  "when 
  June's 
  red 
  roses 
  blow," 
  the 
  bees 
  were 
  

   almost 
  starving 
  in 
  their 
  hives, 
  so 
  few 
  and 
  poor 
  were 
  the 
  flowers. 
  The 
  

   stage, 
  on 
  its 
  way 
  to 
  the 
  station, 
  several 
  miles 
  off, 
  picked 
  me 
  up 
  at 
  a 
  

   farm-house. 
  A 
  strange 
  being, 
  hatless 
  and 
  shoeless, 
  was 
  leaning 
  against 
  

   a 
  fence 
  on 
  the 
  road 
  side. 
  

  

  "That's 
  poor 
  Daft!" 
  whispered 
  the 
  driver, 
  in 
  a 
  compassionate 
  way, 
  

   as 
  we 
  drew 
  near. 
  The 
  man 
  seemed 
  about 
  thirty-five, 
  and 
  had 
  a 
  harm- 
  

   less, 
  half 
  dazed 
  look. 
  Having 
  taken 
  a 
  step 
  or 
  two 
  into 
  the 
  road, 
  he 
  ac- 
  

   costed 
  us 
  in 
  a 
  solemn 
  manner, 
  causing 
  a 
  momentary 
  halt. 
  

  

  Daft. 
  Have 
  you 
  seen 
  the 
  Army 
  Worm? 
  

  

  Jehu. 
  jN^ary 
  a 
  worm, 
  Dafiie! 
  

  

  Dapt. 
  Oh, 
  but 
  he's 
  come 
  ! 
  He's 
  down 
  the 
  road 
  about 
  half 
  a 
  mile, 
  

   and's 
  committing 
  desolation 
  most 
  promiscuously. 
  There 
  wasn't 
  one 
  

   there 
  yesterday. 
  But 
  this 
  morning, 
  lo 
  ! 
  a 
  great 
  multitude 
  Avhich 
  no 
  man 
  

   can 
  number! 
  It's 
  all 
  very 
  mysterious, 
  the 
  palmer 
  worm 
  and 
  canker 
  

   worm. 
  His 
  great 
  army! 
  Maj^be 
  that's 
  why 
  nobody 
  can 
  tell 
  us 
  where 
  

   they 
  come 
  from 
  and 
  what 
  becomes 
  of 
  them. 
  I'd 
  like 
  to 
  know 
  if 
  it 
  is 
  all 
  

   past 
  finding 
  out. 
  

  

  Jehu. 
  That's 
  too 
  deep 
  for 
  me, 
  Daffie. 
  G^e'long, 
  ponies. 
  

  

  Having 
  started 
  his 
  horses 
  again, 
  the 
  driver 
  told 
  me 
  that 
  "though 
  

   feeble-minded 
  else 
  wise. 
  Daft 
  was 
  real 
  powerful 
  on 
  Scripter." 
  

  

  I 
  had 
  that 
  morning 
  at 
  an 
  early 
  hour 
  been 
  watching 
  the 
  conduct 
  of 
  an 
  

   army 
  of 
  Leucania 
  unipuncta^ 
  the 
  very 
  one 
  to 
  which 
  Dafiie 
  referred 
  so 
  

   mysteriously. 
  In 
  truth, 
  actuated 
  by 
  the 
  vastness 
  of 
  this 
  invasion 
  of 
  the 
  

   Army 
  Worm, 
  I 
  was 
  then 
  on 
  a 
  season's 
  observations, 
  which 
  it 
  is 
  proi)osed 
  

   to 
  give 
  with 
  some 
  fulness 
  of 
  detail; 
  and 
  perhaps 
  we 
  may 
  thus 
  true 
  an- 
  

   swer 
  make 
  to 
  the 
  wise 
  questions 
  of 
  that 
  innocent. 
  

  

  The 
  army 
  above 
  mentioned 
  had 
  just 
  made 
  complete 
  havoc 
  of 
  a 
  clover- 
  

   field. 
  They 
  were 
  bred 
  from 
  eggs 
  laid 
  in 
  a 
  low^-lying, 
  last 
  year's 
  rye- 
  

   field 
  adjoining. 
  After 
  but 
  partially 
  eating 
  the 
  grass 
  in 
  this 
  old 
  field, 
  it 
  

   was 
  abandoned 
  for 
  the 
  more 
  succulent 
  and 
  tender 
  clover 
  and 
  grass 
  in 
  

   the 
  next 
  field. 
  The 
  very 
  unusual 
  heat 
  and 
  drought 
  had 
  been 
  too 
  much 
  

   for 
  the 
  young 
  worms, 
  having 
  rendered 
  too 
  tough 
  the 
  grass 
  in 
  the 
  field 
  

   where 
  they 
  w^ere 
  hatched. 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  new 
  field 
  the 
  clover 
  and 
  the 
  grass 
  in 
  its 
  shade 
  were 
  much 
  more 
  

   comestible. 
  This 
  field 
  was 
  completely 
  devoured 
  — 
  not 
  a 
  spear 
  of 
  grass 
  

   or 
  leaf 
  of 
  clover 
  escaped 
  the 
  invaders. 
  Nothing 
  but 
  naked 
  clover-stalks 
  

   with 
  empty 
  heads 
  remained 
  — 
  even 
  the 
  headlands 
  were 
  thoroughly 
  

   cleaned 
  up. 
  A 
  low 
  but 
  distinct 
  and 
  unpleasant 
  crinkling 
  sound 
  accom- 
  

  

  