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Show Sod Webworm Is Injurious Pest Small Grains and Various Pasture Grasses Are Destroyed De-stroyed by Insect. -rrcpr4 by th United Btatee Dprtmont of Affricultura.) Ita work often mistaken for damage by cutworms, the larger sod webworm ia often a pest of economic Importance. Impor-tance. East of tue Mississippi Its 'range Is over most of the territory north of the Ohio river, although It has appeared In Kentucky and Tennes- I see. West of the Mississippi It has been found In Missouri,- Kansas, In the Texas Panhandle and even close to the Mexican border In New Mexico, from which point the boundary line of Its range strikes northward, avoiding avoid-ing Arizona, but with appearance In Utah and In . Washington. Its principal princi-pal damage has appeared In the Mississippi Mis-sissippi valley from Ohio to Iowa. Facti Concerning Pest. In Technical Bulletin N. 31-T, "The Larger Sod Webworm," published by : the United States Department of Ag- . rlculture, George G. Alnslie of the bureau of entomology brings together all the available facts concerning the " pest, for the convenience of technical workers, and agricultural leaders as well as for farmers in the area where the webworm Is likely to prove de- 1 ! etructlve, Mr. Alnslle's conclusion Is that "when once present In a field It can be controlled with difficulty, and ''measures used against It should be '. preventive rather than remedial. Such measures are crop rotation, ample fer-. fer-. tlllzationi and. In the case of sod land : Intended for corn the following year, : early fall plowing." In the moth stage of its life the Insect In-sect Is comparatively large, yellowish-gray, yellowish-gray, and with a wing expanse of an Inch or more. The moths fly about at twilight, and drop eggs that develop - Into the Injurious webworms. There . are two broods a year, and the first Is likely to Injure corn and small ' grains. The second is more likely to Injure grasses In pastures. The larvae . winter In a closely-woven . case of white silk covered outwardly with earth particles so that it has much the appearance of a small clod. . Parasites Attack Larvae. The larvae are attacked by. several parasites. Birds, mice,' moles, ground ; squirrels, gophers, and predacious Insects In-sects probably do much to keep down the numbers of the sod webworms. Poisoned baits have been tried wlth-, wlth-, out success. In case the Injury to corn Is so serious as to require new planting, the new rows should He between be-tween the old ones and the Infested plants should be allowed to stand, as long as possible so that the webworms will complete their growth on them, withou turning their attention to the yeunger plants. The moths emerging from the plants will seek grassy places and will not trouble the corn. The bulletin may be obtained, while the' supply lasts, by applying to the Department of Agriculture, Washington, Washing-ton, d. a |