INSECT ENEMIES AND PLANT DISEASES 187 
A method which we have found very effective in exter- 
minating cutworms on our own fields is to work the ground 
at such frequent intervals in the spring that every particle 
of vegetation is destroyed. If no plant growth is allowed 
to start during April the greater portion of the cutworms 
will be killed by starvation. This imsect cannot withstand 
hot weather with no green vegetation to feed upon. 
Fortunately these worms have many natural enemies; 
among them are the quail, robin, thrush and other birds, 
which together keep their numbers down to a considerable 
extent. These birds are among the best friends the farmer 
has and should be protected in every way possible. There 
are many other insects which attack the stalk and ear but 
the limitations of this book will not permit of their 
description. 
PLANT DISEASES 
Ear Rot: This is a mold and belongs to the great group 
of plants called fungi. The ear rot is whitish or pinkish in 
appearance and in many cases the husks and silks are 
cemented to the ear. The affected parts have lost their sub- 
stance and are light in weight and brittle in appearance. 
It is not definitely known how ear rot is caused, but it is 
generally conceded that moisture and temperature have con- 
siderable to. do with it. We are of the opinion that dry 
weather in the fall followed by several weeks of warm wet 
weather are ideal conditions for the spreading of this dis- 
ease. We had such a season as this in the fall of 1911, 
which was the year when dry rot wrought its greatest damage 
in central Illinois. When the weather conditions are not so 
favorable the disease seems to be confined to the very tip 
of the ear, in which case the damage is very slight. 
It is estimated that the loss to the corn crop in the United 
