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little service, or cost the farmers more than the value of the crop sav¬ 
ed, and in that case the result is a loss instead of a gain. When a 
farmer or community has had this kind of experience any new meas¬ 
ure is looked upon with distrust. This is not what we want, a leap 
in the dark as it were, but to know as fully as possible the character 
and condition of our foe before we attack him, and then make the at¬ 
tack where it will be the most effective with the least expense. 
Cut-worms are, according to the more common acceptation of the 
term in this country, the larvse or caterpillars of moths belonging to 
the genus Agrotis and a few other closely related genera, that usually 
feed at night and lie concealed during the day time. Their place 
of concealment is just beneath the surface of the ground, beneath 
dead leaves and grass that are moist, or sometimes among the com¬ 
pactly folded leaves of growing plants where considerable moisture 
is retained, and where they will lie and feed during the day. 
L. D., of Woodburn, Macoupin County, writes to the Prairie Farmer 
May 9, 1845 : “Last year the Cut-worms were hard on some corn fields 
here. Some of the farmers had to plant the third time before they 
oould go to plowing, meanwhile the weeds were growing and choking 
what the worms had left. I think if fall-plow T ing for corn were adopt¬ 
ed, this evil would be lessened very much, if not entirely removed. 
In coming to this conclusion I have the experience of last year in my 
favor. In ten acres of corn which my father raised, the ravages of 
this worm were plain enough all over the field, except on a few lands 
that had been plowed in the fall with the intention of sowing winter 
wheat. Last fall, and during the “lovely winter weather,” our plow¬ 
ing was all done for spring crops. We commenced planting corn the 
4th of April. It all came up very well and the ground was as free from 
weeds almost as you could wish, and now we are tending it, while 
some others have not done planting.” 
The following are gleaned from my correspondence: 
S. B. Mead, M. D., of Augusta, Hancock County, says: “Have injured 
some, but not bad this year. Bite the corn close under the top of the 
ground.” 
G. G. French, M. D., Shobonier, Fayette County, says: “Cut-worms 
troubled some, about equal to craw-fish in my fields which are low. 
Two years ago were quite bad.” 
H. M. Russell, Urbana, Champaign County, writes: “Very slight 
damage done. Have been troublesome former years to gardens but not 
very to corn.” 
Wm. A. Griffin, New Windsor, Mercer County, writes: “All the 
damage ever done by Cut-worms in this locality has been on timothy 
and clover stubble newly broken.” 
Joseph Teft, Elgin, Kane County, says: “Very little, if any, injury 
has been done to corn by Cut-worms in this or former years.” 
Lorenzo Rank, Oswego, Kendall County, says : “ There are some cut¬ 
worms, but not extensive, and have done little injury. They are 
limited to the sod corn. Have been in former years quite trouble¬ 
some. Fall plowing and late planting—June 1st—have been re¬ 
sorted to as remedies.” 
E. M. Bowers, McLeansboro, Hamilton County, says: “ Have done 
no damage to corn this year. Sometimes do considerable damage to 
