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Show . - . I Cutworms and Their Control By J. A. BROCK In 'Tacts About Sugar" Unfortunately, cutworms are not .satisfied when they destroy sufficient beets to give them an ample food supply, sup-ply, but they have a habit of destroying destroy-ing more plants than they can possibly pos-sibly consume. Because of this fact, if an inspection is made of a field after the cutworms have started to work in it, it will be observed that the field is strewn with wilted leaves which have been severed from the roots at the surface of the ground or just below it, but which the worms have been unable to consume after having destroyed the plant. Another factor which tends to increase in-crease the annoyance of cutworms is that they do their work at night and are rarely found upon the soil surface during the hours of daylight. This is explained by the fact that the worms conceal themselves in the soil, or beneath trash, as soon as day breaks. Another characteristic of cutworms is the rapidity with which they work. The writer has observed large fields of sugar beets which gave every Indication In-dication of having an almost perfect stand, but which were practically wiped out in a single night. In view of this fact, it is well for the farmer to determine whether or not his field is infested with cutworms before they start to work, and if an infestation is noted he should be ready to employ em-ploy methods of control immediately. In other words, if it is known that the soil contains the eggs or larvae before the worms actually start to work, the farmer should be ready to destroy the pests before they destroy his crop. Chop the lemons, rind included, very ; fine. . . . Add the molasses and ! chopped fruit to about one-half of the water and stir until the molasses molas-ses is dissolved. Add this mixture to the bran and Paris green and mix : evenly. The rest of the water should then be added a little at a time, stirring stir-ring the mixture while doing so, and until the whole mass is evenly moistened. moist-ened. When this has been done the bran should be just moist enough to stick together, but not so wet that it will not crumble freely. In the condition con-dition it can be evenly and thinly scattered over the field to be treat-ed." treat-ed." In scattering the mash over the field care should be taken to avoid having any large lumps left in the field in an unbroken state. At this point the writer would call attention to the fact that the idea held by some that the poison mash will kill poultry or birds that may pick it up in their search is erroneaus. If the mash is properly prepared and distributed it will not injure anything but the cutworms. cut-worms. Experience has shown that the mash is most effective when it is spread upon the field after sundown. Never scatter the mash during the day, as the bait will dry out before the worms begin feeding and they will not partake of the mash. One of the most annoying pests encountered en-countered by farmers is the cutworm and it behooves every farmer, especially espe-cially those who engage in sugar beet culture, to be prepared to combat these little harvesters that nightly, in the spring, cut off the tops of the young beets just at the time when the leaves make their appearance above the soil surface. As has been mentioned, the cutworms cut-worms conceal themselves in the soil, or beneath trash, during the day, hence, in order to determine whether or not (hey are present, an examination examina-tion of the soil should be made to a depth of from one half inch to two inches. Referring to the method of controlling control-ling cutworms, Maxson, who Is considered con-sidered one of the best authorities on insect control in the United States, writes in his latest work on this subject sub-ject as follows: "The best known method of killing cutworms is the use of poisoned bait. A poisoned bran mash known as Kansas mixture mix-ture seems to give the best results. The formula for use against cutworms cut-worms is as follows: 2 0 pounds bran or shorts 1 pound Paris green 2 quarts cheap molases - 2 lemons 3 gallons water "Thoroughly mix the bran or . shdrts and the Paris green dry. There are many species of cutworms, cut-worms, but they all are the larvae of the nightflying Owlet-moths of the family Noctuidae and they all have the same general habits, although they may vary in markings. The parents of the cutworms are usually on the wing during the months of July and August and the eggs are laid about midsummer. Some of these eggs may hatch before winter, especially if the fall is open and warm, but the larvae hatched in the fall rarely do any material damage dam-age to the beet crop for the reason that the plants are fully developed and there is an abundance of other lood available. When cold weather sets in, the fall-hatched larvae bury themselves in the ground, where they remain until spring, at which time they join the spring-hatched larvae and in many cases destroy many acres of sugar beets in a comparatively compara-tively short time. |