OF THE FARM AND GARDEN. 



n 



of poor wormy stuff in 1860, and this, we are told, was 

 a fair sample of most of the counties in Kansas. The 

 damage done was not by any means confined to the grain 

 actually eaten by the worm; but ^'^the ends of the ears of 

 corn, when partially devoured and left by this worm, af- 

 fords a secure retreat for hundreds of small insects, 

 which, under cover of the husk, finish the work of des- 

 truction commenced by the worm, eating holes in the 

 grain or loosening them from the cob. A species of green- 

 ish-brown mould or fungus grew likewise in such situa- 

 tions, it appearing that the dampness from the exuded 

 sap favored such a growth. Thus decay and destruction 

 rapidly progressed, hidden by the husk from the eye of 

 the unsuspecting farmer." It appears also that many 

 horses in Kansas subsequently died from disease occa- 

 sioned by eating this half-rotten wormy corn. 



Eemedy. — It is the general experience that this worm 

 does more injury to very early and very late corn than to 

 that which ripens intermediately, for though the broods 

 connect by late individuals of the first and early individ- 

 uals of the second, there is nevertheless a period about 

 the time the bulk of our corn is ripening, when the 

 worms are quite scarce. I have never yet observed their 

 work on the green tassel, as it has been observed in 

 New Jersey, and do not believe that they do so work with 

 us. Consequently it would avail nothing as a preventive 

 measure, to break off and destroy the tassel, and the 

 only remedy when they infest corn is to kill them by 

 hand. By going over a field when the ears are in silk^ 

 the presence of the worms can be detected by the silk be- 

 ing prematurely dry, or by its being partially eaten. 



In the cotton fields large numbers of the moths have 

 been caught by means of lamps or lanterns, so arranged 

 that the insect, when attracted by the light, will fall into 

 the water or other liquid. Wherever the moth is abun- 

 dant among the corn, it may be^ worth while to try this. 



