CORN PESTS AND DISEASES 259 



and the use of manure will palliate, but not wholly 

 obviate the injury. Little or no mischief is done except 

 in fields that have been in corn during the year or two 

 preceding, and a frequent change of crops is therefore 

 a complete preventive. 



STALK AND LEAF 



Cutworms — Corn growers for many years have 

 suffered serious annual loss from the ravages of cut- 

 worms. These losses are becoming more apparent in 

 sections where crimson clover and other crops are 

 grown on the corn lands for turning down in the 

 spring as a soiling crop. Such fields furnish ideal 

 places the early and latter part of the season for the 

 parent insects to deposit their eggs and for the young 

 worms to feed. The result is that when the crop is 

 turned under the worms remain below the ground for 

 a time feeding upon the leaves, stems and roots until 

 the corn is up, and then they emerge and concentrate 

 upon the delicate plants. In many instances the 

 second planting is cut off. 



The parent insects or moths of the common cut- 

 worms vary greatly in color in the different species. 

 Normally the female lays her eggs in grass lands, but 

 clover fields and weedy places get their share. The 

 young worms hatching from these eggs early in the 

 summer or late fall, feed voraciously upon any vegeta- 

 tion in their vicinity and are by no means particular 

 what it is ; the only requirement being that the plant 

 shall be juicy and abundant. 



It is known that cutworms as well as the adult 

 moths have a liking for sweet substances, and are 

 attracted to them when they are placed in their vicinity. 

 The worms also eat wheat bran with much relish. By 

 combining bran with molasses, or syrup made from 

 sugar, we have an ideal bait, and the worms will eat it 



