94 



VEGETABLE GARDENING. 



ground and live near the surface on the tender 7. )ots of grass 

 and other plants until the approach of cold weather. They then 

 descend deeper into the ground and remain torpid until spring, 

 when they come to the surface and again commence their depre- 

 dations. Cut worms w^hen full grown, are from one and a quarter 

 to one and three-quarter inches long and rather large in diameter 

 as compared with the length. Their skin is of some dull color, 

 smooth, with often dull stripes and bands. 



Remedies. — Cut worms are most injurious in sod land or land 

 on which weeds have been permitted to grow in autumn, or in 

 land adjacent thereto. They are not liable to winter over on any 

 land that is kept free from weeds and grass in autumn, since 

 there is no food for them in such places. The worms feed almost 

 entirely by night and hide during the day time under clods or 

 just under the surface of the ground near where they have 

 been working. In a small way they may be dug out and destroy- 

 ed, but in fields and on a large scale this is impossible and a good 

 remedy is to scatter baits of poisoned clover through the fields. 

 This is easily prepared by dipping clover into Paris green or Lon- 

 don purple and water. A dough made of bran and Paris green 

 sprinkled about the plants will often be found very satisfactory 

 in destroying cut worms, and sometimes will work even better 

 than clover for this purpose. Where cut worms are abundant a 

 larger amount than usual of seed should be planted that a good 

 stand may be secured even if the worms do get some oi it. 

 When plants such as cabbage, cauliflower and tomatoes are plant- 

 ed out, it is a good plan to wrap the plants with pieces of stout 

 paper extending about an inch below and three inches above 

 the ground. When boxes or tomato cans are set around plants 

 for shade, they afford a good/protection from this pest. Protec- 

 tion from cut worms to hills of melons, cucumbers and similar 

 plants, may be given by pieces of pasteboard or tin. These 

 should be cut about three inches wide and sufficiently long to 

 encircle the hill. They should be set about an inch deep in the 

 ground. Spraying the plants with London purple or Paris green 

 is a good remedy. The moths of cut worms, as well as such 

 insects as adult wire worms and grub worms may be killed at 

 night by means of a lantern suspended over a tub of water having 

 a little kerosene on its surface. This should be done late in the 

 summer when the moths of cut worms are abundant. 



