Control in the Fields 



You can make a rough estimate 

 of the abundance of cutworms in 

 your fields by scattering compact 

 bunches of vegetation over the land 

 several days after plowing and ex- 

 amining-the soil beneath them 2 or 

 3 days later. If you find cutworms, 

 treat before the plants are set in 

 the field. This is good insurance 

 against cutworm injury to newly 

 set plants. 



Baits. — You can reduce the num- 

 ber of cutworms in the soil by using 

 poisoned bait. The formula for this 

 is given on page 6. Use bait before 

 or after transplanting. If used be- 

 fore, apply it after the land has 

 been put in condition for setting the 

 plants, but several days before the 

 plants are set. Broadcast the bait 

 over the field at the rate of about 

 20 pounds (dry weight) per acre. 

 If the land is heavily infested, two 

 applications of the bait, with a 2- 

 or 3-day interval between the appli- 

 cations, may be necessary to pro- 

 duce effective control. 



Where you use the bait after 

 transplanting, 3 pounds (dry 

 weight) per 1,000 plants applied 

 near each plant are sufficient for 

 moderate infestations. In heavier 

 infestations, broadcast the bait at 

 about 20 pounds (dry weight) per 

 acre. 



Apply bait late in the afternoon, 

 preferably about sunset. If a heavy 

 rain follows, the application will be 

 ineffective and should be repeated. 



Dusts. — A 10-percent DDT or a 



1- to 2-percent endrin dust applied 

 at the rate of 10 to 15 pounds per 

 acre to the plants and the adjacent 

 soil surface provides satisfactory 

 cutworm control on newly set plants 

 and on the foliage of older plants. 

 In some areas, dusts containing 

 chlordane are used for cutworm 

 control. The dusts are broadcast on 

 tobacco land several days before 

 transplanting. They are effective 

 if not disturbed by cultivation. 



Sprays. — To apply DDT or en- 

 drin in a spray, use 1 to iy 2 pounds 

 of DDT per acre, or 0.2 pound of 

 endrin per acre. An emulsifiable 

 concentrate is preferable where a 

 low-gallonage sprayer is used ; how- 

 ever, either an emulsifiable concen- 

 trate or wettable powder may be 

 used in high-gallonage sprayers. 



Precautions 



Most insecticides are poisonous. 



You can safely use those that are 

 recommended in this bulletin if you 

 carefully follow these precautions: 



Handle insecticides with care. 

 Follow all directions and heed all 

 precautions on the labels. 



Some insecticides can be absorbed 

 through the skin. Therefore, after 

 working with insecticides, wash all 

 exposed surfaces of the body with 

 soap and water and change cloth- 

 ing. 



When you must handle treated 

 tobacco within 5 days after appli- 

 cation of endrin, do not let it touch 

 your skin. Wear rubber gloves and 

 tightly woven clothes. 



This leaflet supersedes Farmer's Bulletin 1494, Tobacco Cutworms and Their 

 Control. 



Washington, D. C. 



Issued Jury 1957 



U. S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 1957 O — 427236 



For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U. S. Government Printing Office 

 8 Washington 25, D. C. - Price 10 cents 



