86 
NATURAL, ENEMIES 
A tachinid fly (Archytcs aterrima Desv.*) has been bred by 
us from this cutworm, collected in Illinois greenhouses. Three 
other species of tachinids and several Hymenoptera have been re¬ 
ported as parasitic on this species. According to our observa¬ 
tions, however, none of these are of much importance. 
methods of control 
Poisoned Baits .—Probably the most effective and convenient 
preventive of cutworm injury in greenhouses is a poisoned bait. 
In an asparagus greenhouse in Chicago, an experiment with poi¬ 
soned bran and poisoned lettuce leaves gave very satisfactory re¬ 
sults. The poisoned bran was used in three mixtures, as follows: 
white arsenic, bran, and molasses; Paris green and bran merely 
dampened; and Paris green and bran thoroly wet. In each case 
a small quantity of the mash was placed in a pile at the base of 
alternate plants. The lettuce leaves were lightly powdered with 
Paris green, and placed on the beds at about the same distance 
apart as the piles of bran mash. The bran mixture with white 
arsenic and molasses and that which was thoroly wet were un¬ 
satisfactory; but the Paris green and moistened bran—i pound 
of Paris green to 16 pounds of bran—and the poisoned lettuce 
leaves gave excellent results. It is said that a little salt added 
to the mash increases its relish. In all the beds left untreated the 
cutworms continued abundant, and the new shoots were kept cut 
off close to the ground notwithstanding the fact that two to four 
men were continually at work carefully searching the beds and 
collecting and destroying all the cutworms they could find. In 
the beds treated with the two satisfactory baits mentioned, only 
here and there a stalk was afterwards cut off, and plants which 
had previously been cut down by the cutworms nevertheless grew 
to their natural size and beauty. In short, the contrast between the 
treated and untreated beds was remarkable. 
Clover also may be poisoned and used as a bait. Small patches 
of it, first sprayed with Paris green in water, are cut and the 
plants are scattered over the benches, as are the poisoned lettuce 
leaves. 
Sod soil, which is the kind in general use by the florists of 
Chicago, is very likely to contain cutworms. Such a soil, before 
placing it in the benches, should be cleared of cutworms, either by 
using the poisoned bran mash or, better, by sterilization, as de¬ 
scribed under another head. 
^Determined by C. A. Hart. 
