MARCH 3 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
accompany other and coarser food that is being 
cooked. 
In the Bar. 
At the West corn is often fed in the ear, par¬ 
ticularly the nubbins, and when we consider 
the cost of grinding and the cow as having an 
abundance of time to chew the corn and cob. it 
is an open question which way is the more eco¬ 
nomical to feed, especially when the cows arc in 
fine health with active, digestive organs. Corn 
is very hard, and requires hard and continued 
boiling, or long soaking, to improve its quality 
with water. This is probably caused by the 
oily nature of the outside skin or husk. It 
will take up about as much water when soaked 
cold in twenty-four as in forty-eight hours. 
When the corn is not in small nubbins it is al¬ 
ways broken into three or more pieces before 
being fed. If slightly 6alted, the cows relish 
it better. 
Feeding the (stalk. 
For many years I carried a herd of dairy cows 
through every winter with little or no other 
rough food than corn-stalks, cut into inch 
lengths. With this I would mix wet at the rate 
of four quarts per cow a day of corn meal and 
bran mixed and slightly salted. There arc few, if 
any, better rough crops, not excepting the best 
timothy or clover hay, for making milk, than 
common corn fodder when fed as suggested. 
Some of the largest pieces would be rejected, 
but if a little meal was scattered over them, 
unless the cow was more than usually delicate 
in her tastes, they would soon be eaten up. 
Young heifers in full flesh would reject this 
part of the stock, but it. was then useful as 
bedding and manure. The chief recommenda¬ 
tion of this fodder is its low price, when com¬ 
pared with hay or even straw, containing so 
much more nutriment than the latter. It usu¬ 
ally costs about one-fifth the market price of 
timothy hay, and for purposes of feed is, in 
my opinion, of equal value pound for pound. 
In feeding they will he of about equal waste 
one with the other, while their raauure quali¬ 
ties are about equal. 
As Cultivated Fodder. 
This is the cow feed for which I have a 
special weakness. In strong land the rows 
should be planted three and half feet apart, 
twelve to twenty grains to the foot, and well 
cultivated as long as the horse can pass 
through the rows. After the corn has reached 
that stage when the tassel begins to wither 
and the lower blades on the stalk turn yel¬ 
low, the fodder should all be cut and al¬ 
lowed to lay one day in the sun, or two days 
in the shade, when it should be bound into 
sheaves aud shocked just as wheat is. These 
shocks, if properly put together, will stand 
without further trouble until needed for food 
in mid winter, when the leaves will be found 
green and nourishing, while the small stalk 
and little nubbins found here and there in it. 
give it a constant charm for cattle. The 
amount of this food that can be raised on an 
acre of laud is simply amazing. There should 
be eight or ten tons of it to the acre, eveu 
after it has dried out m winter. Cows will 
eat it ravenously without its being cut up, but 
as meal is so much better for cows when 
mixed with ent fodder, l would always rec¬ 
ommend that it be done. The most serious 
trouble I have ever had in raising corn fod¬ 
der, was that the heavy growth would some¬ 
times blow down and break off ueur the roots. 
This need not be any loss, however, as it can 
be fed green to the cows after the order of 
soiling. Fodder should be raised this way to 
help out the pastures when they get brown 
and dried up late in the season. Sw r ect corn 
seed is said to be more valuable than auy 
other variety for this purpose, but never hav¬ 
ing tried it, I would be a little slow in rec¬ 
ommending it, as sweet corn does not grow 
as luxuriantly as the gourd seed varieties. 
Bnxllngc. 
This plau of preserving green fodder has 
hardly been developed in this country, and 
certainly not to an extent that would justify 
one in trying it on a large scale. It consists 
in burying green fodder, cut into short lengths, 
in the earth sufficiently deep to prevent fer¬ 
mentation, and it is said to keep perfectly until 
needed for the stock, lie that months or years. 
The labor looks portentous, while, even in its 
most perfect green stage, corn fodder is but 
little if auy more valuable for cow food than 
it is in mid-winter, if properly cured and pre¬ 
served as described above. 
N0TE8 ON CORN IN8ECTS. 
l'ROKHSSOR CYRUB THOMAS. 
Indian corn, which is one of our most valua¬ 
ble cereals, is subject to the attacks of a host 
of insect enemies; about forty species are 
known to be more or less injurious to it in this 
country. A large portion of tlicBe, it is true, 
do so little damage as to require no special no¬ 
tice except where it is desirable to give a full 
aud complete list. As it is the intention to 
make this brief article practical and uot scien¬ 
tific. 1 shall only notice those species which at 
times do sufficient damage to this crop to make 
it desirable on the part of the farmer to find, 
if possible, some remedy against their depre¬ 
dations. There is scarcely a moment from the 
time the seed is deposited in the ground, until 
the crop is harvested, andl may say consumed, 
that it is not subject, to the attack of some in¬ 
sect pest. 
As soon as the hill is covered, it often hap¬ 
pens that a hidden foe, which has slept securely 
beneath the surface, during the winter, comes 
up from its retreat, hungry and in search of 
food. Thegrass roots, its favorite food, having 
been removed by the plow, it finds a welcome 
substitute in the kernels of coru. Not relishing 
the hard outer coating, it bores its way into 
the interior where it finds more appropriate 
food ; or, if sprouting has already taken place, 
it feeds upon the little roots and sprouts. The 
reader is doubtless aware that I allude to the 
Wire-worms. 
So much lias already been written concerning 
these troublesome insects that it is unnecessary 
for me to enter info a detailed description of 
them. It is sufficient to state that they are the 
larvie, or grubs, of certain slender beetles 
generally known as “ Suapping-bugs,” “ Click- 
beetles,” “ Snapping-Jacks,” etc., belonging to 
the group known scientifically as Elaterida 1 . 
They are slender aud wire-like in form, with 
three minute pairs of legs Bituated on the first 
three segments behind the head and varying in 
color from a creamy white to a light brown. 
Those found injurious are rather small, varying 
in length from three-fourths of an inch to an 
inch aud a half, aud in thickness, from that of 
a knitting-needle to a small wheat stem. 
They are long-lived and strong-lived, and 
hence difficult to destroy. Lime, salt, soot, 
and such topical applications seem, as a general 
rule, to have but little effect upon them. 
Where the soil is sandy and light, these may be 
beneficial, but oftener they prove unsatis¬ 
factory. Labor is too costly in this country in 
comparison with the price of corn to justify 
digging them out, or trapping them with slices 
of turnips, etc., as is often done in England. 
To poison them with Paris-green on rope, cake, 
turnip slices, etc., is not only too costly a pro¬ 
cess bat is rather dangerous for practice on a 
large scale. 
The starving process, I am satisfied, is the 
best practical method of fighting them that 
can be adopted, except in small areas, such as 
garden spots, where the more tedious process 
of hunting them out may sometimes be fol¬ 
lowed. But simply allowing the field to remain 
fallow for one or eveu two years, is not suf¬ 
ficient; one year’s fallow with the ground kept 
well and deeply stirred, aud free of weeds and 
grass, wifi be more effectual than thrice that 
time without this precaution. If they are to 
be starved, they must be deprived of food, and 
this means keeping the ground perfectly free 
of vegetation, unless plauted in something that 
is obnoxious to them, and Llie list of such plants 
I am of Die opiuion will be found quite brief. 
If strong lime is plowed in, dry, somewhat 
late in the spring or early in the summer, it 
will probably prove advantageous and assist in 
driving these worms away. The starving pro¬ 
cess is most likely to be effectual in a dry sea¬ 
son. The soil conceals other enemies besides 
those we have named. 
The White Grub*,' 
or larva; of May-beetles (Phyllophaga), are 
often very troublesome in some fields. The 
treatment recommended for the wire-worms is 
equally applicable to these insects. There is 
quite a large number of species whose larva; 
may be called “ White Grubs." but those that 
injure corn, grass, etc., by eating the roots, be¬ 
long to three species. Phyllophaga fusca. P. 
fraterna and P. pilosicollis, are the most com¬ 
mon. 
As soon as the young blade shows itself above 
the ground another host of enemies commence 
operations upou it. Chief among these are the 
larvae or caterpillars of a certain group of 
moths belonging chiefly to the genus Agrotis, 
and known by the common name 
Cut-worm*. 
As these have somewhat similar habits, and 
a remedy applicable to one is usually applica¬ 
ble to others, I will omit a detailed account 
of the different species, which would require 
more space than cau be devoted to this article. 
Hunting them out aud killing them are un¬ 
doubtedly the most effectual remedies, and 
where the result will justify the trouble and ex¬ 
pense, it is best to adopt it; but it is scarcely 
practicable in this country for field culture. 
The value of fall plowing has probably been 
over-estimated both in reference to its use as a 
means of destroying noxious Insects and of In¬ 
creasing the next season’s crop. But in refer¬ 
ence to this, as with most other things, the ac 
companying conditions must be taken into 
consideration. If a field has been badly In¬ 
fested with cut-worms, fall plowing, if properly 
done, is undoubtedly one of the best remedies 
that can be adopted. But this, to be effectual, 
means that the ground should be kept clear of 
weeds and other vegetation during the fall after 
the preceding crop has been harvested; hence 
more than one plowing may be necessary. The 
value of the practice does not lie so much in 
turning them up to the weather—which is but 
imperfectly done if the ground is weedy or 
grassy—as in keeping the ground clear of 
vegetation and thus preventing them from ob¬ 
taining a footing. The parent moth in de¬ 
positing her eggs will avoid situations which 
furnish no food for her progeny. These pests 
are usually most injurious when the weather 
is moderately warm and moist. 
hlunt’s white prolific, cob. 
Last spring I noticed that the young corn 
during damp weather was attacked by an in¬ 
numerable host of very small, brassy black 
beetles, marked with minute punctures, and 
having the feet, tibise and basal joints of the 
autemue yellow. These little 
Flea-lic«tle», 
which belong to the species named Haltica 
(Paylliodes) punetulata, injure the plant by 
eating minute holes in the blade, as do the 
flea-beetles that often injure young cabbages. 
This appears to be unusual; at least it is the 
first time, so far as I am aware, that any one 
of thisgroup of beetles bus been noticed attack¬ 
ing corn. 
But the insect which does the greatest injury 
to this valuable cereal, and which farmers ob¬ 
serve with greatest alarm, is, beyond all ques¬ 
tion. the 
Chinch-bug, BHmsu* leucopteru*. 
As I have shown by careful estimates given in 
my Beeoud Report as State Entomologist of 
Illinois, tile loss occassioncd by this insect to 
corn in that State in 1874, amounted to nearly 
.$20,000,000. 1 can only notice one or two 
points in reference to its history and habits. 
I may remark, first, that dry weather is neces¬ 
sary to the development of the pest6 in large 
i numbers. And in order that, the number may 
become excessive, too favorable, that is, dry 
seasons are nesessary. Their habit of passing 
the winter in the perfect state, hid under rub¬ 
bish, in the crevices of stumps, hark, etc., sug¬ 
gests the best practicable remedy that has yet 
been proposed; which is, to burn, as far as 
possible, the rubbish and other material that 
affords them hiding places. It is probable that 
it would be best to do this earlier in the fall 
than has been generally suggested. This is 
not necessary every season, as it is an easy 
matter for fanners to ascertain in the fall 
whether they are likely to appear in injurious 
numbers the following season. That moisture, 
especially in the form of heavy rains, has a 
tendency to destroy them, has been so clearly 
demonstrated that it can no longer be con¬ 
sidered an open question. This being so, it is 
evident that in the winter following a rainy 
season they will be reduced to a minimum in 
respect to numbers, and although the following 
season may be favorable to their development, 
(that is, dry,') they cannot increase to the same 
extent possible when two favorable seasons 
come in succession. The second brood of the 
following year may excite some alarm, but 
usually it attracts but little attention. If the 
season has been dry, and an examination (and 
farmers should be careful to make thorough 
and close examinations) in the fall shows them 
tobepresent inconsiderable numbers, although 
they may not have done any material injury, 
or attracted attention, yet it may be set down 
as probable, in fact almost certain, that if the 
next season is dry, unless destroyed by an 
unusuallj’ wet winter, they will appear in de¬ 
structive numbers. The warfare against them 
should at once commence, aud fire should be 
carried to every possible hiding-place, even the 
fallen leaves of the surrouuding forest, if there 
be any. should be burned. I am aware that 
some of our best eutomolo,gists have some 
doubts in reference to the value of this remedy ; 
but so far it appears to be th« best that has 
been proposed, except where thorough irri 
gation is possible, which will undoubtedly be 
most effectual. Various methods of checking 
the migrations of the first brood from field to 
field have been tried witli varying success, such 
as ditching, drawing lines of coal-tar. setting 
up planks and tarring them. etc. As the sea¬ 
son is always dry when they are injurious, the 
following simple plau has been found effectual 
where the soil is favorable. Plow a narrow- 
strip around the field; keep it well pulverized 
by harrowing and rolling, then plow one or two 
furrow s in this dusty strip. Do this every day 
or two wdiile they are migrating. 
Another enemy of the young corn. whit*, 
fortunately, only makes its appearance occa¬ 
sionally, is the 
Army Worm, 
the larva of a dull brownish-yellow moth (He- 
liophila nnipuncta). As these caterpillars 
always, or nearly always, make their appear¬ 
ance in corn-fields by traveling thither over the 
surface of the ground, the best method of 
keeping them out is by ditching; but earn 
must be taken to have the side of the ditch 
next the field, in the direction of w-bich they 
are marching, perpendicular. Holes should 
also be dug in the bottom of the ditch at inter¬ 
vals of fifteen or twenty feet. If the holes and 
ditch become filled, the insects must be killed 
in some way and thrown out, or a new ditch 
made. 
The Corn Plant-louse 
(Aphis maid is) infests the tassels, ear-stalk and 
roots, but seldom appears iu sufficient num¬ 
bers to do any material injury. 
The stalks are subject to the attacks of a cat¬ 
erpillar which bores into them aud feeds on the 
pith. This is the larva of a moth, 
Uorlym Niteta, 
whose history and habits will be found de¬ 
scribed in The Rural New-Yorker of Sept. 
32, 1877. 
Another caterpillar which often does serious 
damage to corn by eating the silk and grains 
at the tips of the ears while they are soft, is the 
Corn-Worm, 
or. as it is called iu the South, the Boll-worm, 
the larva of Hellothis armigera. It is not a 
very uncommon thing in Southern Illinois, 
Kentucky aud Tenuessee to see one-half the 
ears of a crop more or less injured in this way. 
So far no experiments have been made in order 
to find a remedy, but it is possible, as suggested 
by Prof. French in my last Report, that early 
planting aud topping the coru. at least in this 
latitude, will prove advantageous, by bringing 
it to maturity before the caterpillar appears. 
He thinks from his observation that late fall 
plowing of the fields, where the insects have 
been numerous, will destroy a large number of 
the chrysalids which remaiu in the ground dur¬ 
ing the winter. 
There are also 
(several (specie* of Locuat* 
w hich must be enumerated among the insects 
that Injure the Indian corn. The scourge of 
the West, the Rocky Mountain Locust (Calop- 
tenus spretus) has been so thoroughly written 
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