March, 1918 
55 
I NSECTS that chew are the simplest of all pests 
to destroy, for they readily show their presence 
and quickly succumb to treatment. The faster 
they eat the more quickly they consume the poison 
and die. They include caterpillars of all types, the 
larva; of beetles, etc. 
Poison is the proper remedy for all chewing in¬ 
sects. Arsenate of lead and Paris green are the most 
common poisons used for this purpose. Arsenate of 
lead is preferable because it adheres to the foliage 
better than the others and is less liable to burn it; 
it should be used at the rate of two or three pounds 
to fifty gallons of water. Paris green is stronger 
and cheaper but is more liable to burn the foliage. 
It should be used at the rate of one pound to fifty 
gallons of water. On smooth foliaged plants like 
cabbages and cauliflowers it is sometimes difficult to- 
get the poison to adhere. This can be somewhat 
overcome by making a good solution with pure white 
soap and mixing the poison with it. 
For crops that cannot be sprayed with poison be¬ 
cause of the possibility of their being used shortly, 
hellebore is the best substitute, as it is not nearly so 
INSECTS THAT EAT 
Destroyed by Poison 
poisonous to man or animals as the others mentioned. 
It is usually used where only a few plants are in¬ 
volved. and is dusted on them; or it can be dissolved 
in the proportion of three pounds to fifty gallons of 
water. 
When applying poisons it is often advisable to mix 
fungicides such as Bordeaux mixture with the ar¬ 
senate. Roth may thus be applied in one operation. 
This is the accepted method of spraying fruit trees, 
but it can be used in any case where blight or other 
parasitical diseases and eating insects both infest the 
same plants. 
As the poison, to be effective, must be devoured by 
the insects along with the growth on which they are 
feeding, it is obviously best to apply it when it can 
remain on the foliage for a reasonable length of 
time. For this reason spraying should be done when 
there is a prospect of fair weather ahead, as a heavy 
rain will wash away a good deal of the poison. 
Hand picking is tlic best remedy for cab¬ 
bage worms in the small garden 
Plants Attacked 
Prevcntativcs 
Cure, if Any 
Name 
ARMY WORM. 
ASPARAGUS BEE 
TLE. 
B R O W N T A I E 
MOTH. 
CABBAGE WORM.. 
CANKER OR MEA¬ 
SURING WORM.. 
CATERPILLARS. .. 
CODLING MOTH... 
CORN EAR WORM. 
CURRANT WORM.. 
ELM LEAF BEETLE 
FALL BAGWORM. . 
FALL WEB WORM.. 
GYPSY MOTH. 
POTATO BUG. 
Identification 
A larva that travels 
and devastates all 
vegetation. 
Small, dark colored 
larva; about 1/3" 
long. 
Very similar to gypsy 
moth. The cater- 
pillars grow to 
about 1" to l Vo". 
A greenish caterpillar, 
hard to distinguish 
from the leaf. 
Small caterpillars that 
hang by silken cords 
from the trees. 
The larvae of several 
hundred different 
moths and butter¬ 
flies which infest 
gardens. 
A little white grub 
l / 2 " to M” . l°ng. 
Often found in the 
core of an apple. 
A large gray worm 
1" long, usually 
found in the end of 
the car. 
Small green, black 
spotted caterpillars 
that are the first to 
appear in spring. 
A small greenish 
larva that feeds on 
the young foliage. 
A moth that deposits 
its eggs in the fall 
in small bags like 
cocoons. 
Hatches in May, from 
the many webs 
which we see along 
the highways. 
The larva? hatch in 
May. About 2" 
long; very hairy 
when fully devel¬ 
oped. 
The larvae of the Col¬ 
orado potato beetle. 
Dark red with black 
head. 
Effect on Plants 
Will destroy acres in 
a few days. 
Strips all bark from 
asparagus. 
Destroys all vegeta¬ 
tion. Will ruin 
orchards and wood 
land. 
Destroys the cabbage, 
eating the leaves 
and iouling them. 
They skeletonize the 
foliage, taxing the 
tree's vitality. 
If not destroyed they 
will soon defoliate 
a tree or other vege¬ 
tation. 
Fruit falls premature¬ 
ly. Fruit attacked 
will not keep. 
Destroys the ear by 
eating the kernels. 
Destroys the crop and 
eventually the bush 
by stripping the 
foliage. 
Makes trees unsightly 
and if neglected 
will ruin them. 
The larva? do consid¬ 
erable damage to 
the foliage. 
Will soon destroy all 
the foliage on the 
trees. 
Destroys all green 
vegetation, even 
evergreens. 
Will consume all the 
foliage if not de¬ 
stroyed. 
Causes 
The tachina fly, its 
natural enemy, loses 
control at times. 
Neglect; leaving 
shoots to grow in 
early spring; leav¬ 
ing rubbish around 
in fall. 
Introduced into Mass¬ 
achusetts about 
1890. 
No particular cause. 
No particular cause. 
No particular cause. 
Neglect is the only 
cause. 
No particular cause. 
No particular cause. 
Was imported. 
The encroachment of 
man on the natural 
feeding grounds 
must have caused 
this pest to attack 
the elm. 
No particular reason, 
except their steady 
increase due to ne¬ 
glect. 
Neglect is the real 
factor. 
Imported into Massa¬ 
chusetts about 1870. 
Since the natural feed 
beds have been de- 
s t r o y e d it has 
shifted to potatoes. 
Grass, crops of all 
kinds, bushes and 
trees. 
Confines itself to the 
asparagus. 
All green vegetation, 
but especially fruit 
trees. 
Attacks only the cab¬ 
bage family, includ¬ 
ing cabbage, cauli¬ 
flower, etc. 
Apples, pears, elm, 
oak, hickory, maple, 
etc. 
Trees of all kinds, ex¬ 
cept a few ever¬ 
greens; all garden 
crops. 
This is an apple worm 
and rarely troubles 
other fruits. 
All types of corn. 
Field corn suffers 
most. 
Currants and goose¬ 
berries; sometimes 
adjoining bushes. 
Only elm trees. 
All types of fruit and 
shade trees, b u t 
especially apples. 
All soft foliage trees 
are attacked. 
No tree is immune. 
Evergreens die af¬ 
ter being stripped 
once. 
Potatoes a n d egg¬ 
plants. 
Burning grass borders 
and hedgerows ad¬ 
joining field in fall ; 
• lee p plowing in 
fields that have been 
visited. 
Keep all shoots cut 
in early spring; let 
chickens run in as- 
laragus bed; clean 
)ed and surround¬ 
ings in fall. 
On small places the 
winter webs can be 
gathered and de- 
^ stroyed. 
Keeping the young 
)lants dusted with 
lellebore. 
Deep cultivation in 
orchards; bands of 
sticky substance on 
the trunks. 
Catching the moths by 
a night lamp; de¬ 
stroying the cater¬ 
pillars’ webs. 
Scraping bark when 
trees are dormant, 
placing bones and 
suet to attract in¬ 
sectivorous birds. 
The tiny white eggs 
on the silk can be 
destroyed, or the 
silk can be sprayed 
with poison just as 
it starts to turn 
brown. 
Constant spraying will 
gradually get them 
under control. 
Continued spraying 
will in time have 
its effect by reduc¬ 
ing reproduction. 
The cocoons should 
be gathered ami de¬ 
stroyed. 
Burning the webs any 
time before the eggs 
hatch. 
Painting the egg 
masses with creo¬ 
sote when trees are 
dormant. The egg 
mass is ¥* *" x 1 X /P\ 
covered with yellow 
hairs. 
Destroying the yellow 
egg clusters under 
the foliage; hand 
picking the beetles. 
Laying poisoned bran 
mash in their track; 
plowing deep fur¬ 
rows; m a k i n g 
ditches and putting 
kerosene in them. 
Spraying with poison 
after the larvae have 
become active. Dust¬ 
ing with hellebore. 
Spray with poison in 
early spring and 
again in late sum¬ 
mer. 
Use hellebore after 
plants head up. 
Hand picking best 
for small gardens. 
Spraying with poison 
just as foliage ex¬ 
pands and repeating 
in three weeks. 
Poison is quick and 
sure. Garden crops 
to be used soon can 
be dusted with hel¬ 
lebore. 
Spraying thoroughly 
with poison just 
after petals fall and 
again in three 
weeks. 
Strip back the ears 
slightly and remove 
the worm. This is 
a tedious process 
and preventive mea¬ 
sures should be em¬ 
ployed. 
As soon as foliage 
appears, spray with 
poison. Repeat in 
two weeks. 
Thorough spraying 
with arsenate of 
lead as foliage ap¬ 
pears and again two 
weeks later. 
Kill larva? with a poi¬ 
son spray. 
Poison the foliage 
iromptly after the 
arva? hatch. 
Continued spraying 
after larva? have 
hatched. Arsenate 
of lead every three 
weeks until Aug¬ 
ust 1st. 
Poison spraying three 
weeks apart during 
growing season. 
Hellebore can be used to spray 
vegetables to be eaten soon 
The celery caterpillar is one of 
a large and destructive tribe 
The webs of the tent caterpil¬ 
lars should be burned 
Asparagus beetles are checked 
by poison spraying 
