318 Gardening 
garden during darkness and 
feed by chewing through the 
stems of young plants. Af- 
ter feeding, they burrow into 
the soil, where they curl up 
and remain quiet during the 
day. There are several ways 
U.S. D. A. : 
ae _ of overcoming cutworms. 
Fic. 176. Life history of the varie- 
gated cutworm: a, adult moth; 8, (1) Protection from attack. 
larva in the injurious stage, feeding ; . . 
¢, larva coiled up, a characteristic po- A stiff paper cylinder or 
sition when resting in the ground; collar 3 inches in height, set 
d, top view of larva, showing the six . 
little white dots on the back; ¢, egg into the ground about a 
oui iach an plant, will afford protection, 
for the worms rarely climb 
over it. This method is feasible for protecting trans- 
planted plants of cabbage and tomato, but not for crops 
grown from seed planted in the garden. 
(2) Killing the caterpillars. By carefully scraping 
away the dirt from around the bases of plants that have 
been cut off during the night, one can often find the 
caterpillars and destroy them (see Figure 10). A search 
for cutworms should be made early in the morning. 
(3) Use of poisoned bait. This method is sometimes 
used in commercial gardening, but its use is seldom neces- 
sary in the small home garden if the methods noted above 
are vigorously employed. To make poison bran mash, 
mix 3 teaspoonfuls of Paris green with 1 pound of dry 
wheat bran. Dissolve 2 teaspoonfuls of salt and 5 of 
sirup in a teacupful of water. Mix all together and add 
enough water to make the mash crumbly. This poisoned 
bait is scattered over the ground every evening during 
