Show ERADICATION i OF CUTWORM MOTHS late Fall and Winter Plowing of Grass Lands Will Destroy Their Winter HOGS DEVOUR MANY INSECTS I I Injury Usually Consists In Cutting Off Plants Just Below Surface and Occurs In Spring Eggs Are Hatched During Autumn From tom the United States Department of ot Agriculture If It land that has been In grass gross for n a considerable time and ond Is likely to con contain tain cutworms Is to be planted to corn the following spring It should b be plowed In midsummer or early carly fall about the time the moths' moths eggs arc l laid or better before the eggs are ore laid for then vegetation which Is suitable suitable suitable suit suit- able for tor the moths to lay their eggs upon Is removed The earlier the tile preceding preceding preceding pre pre- ceding year grasslands to bo be planted to corn are plowed the less will be bethe bethe bethe the probability that tho the cutworm moths will have laid their eggs thereon there there- on and the less consequently will be bethe bethe bethe the danger of injury by cutworms the following year ear Late fall and winter plowing of grasslands although not as effective as early plowing will destroy many of the hibernating cutworms as well as such other Important corn pests as white grubs and should be practiced when earlier plowing Is Impracticable Insects Are Devoured Pasturing hogs upon land supposed to harbor cutworms is a n beneficial practice as these animals root up and devour Insects oo o of many kinds IncludIng Including ing tag cutworms In large numbers Farm poultry allowed to f the tho plow Is of pf gr great nt value alue When cutworms are found t be abundant on corn land the use of the poisoned bait is recommended In Inc Ind c d Variegated Cutworm P Mar- Mar a Moth b Normal Form of Caterpillar lar Side View c Same In Curved Position d Dark Form View of Back e Greatly Enlarged Egg Seen From Side f Egg Mass Masson on Twig fields known to be Infested the dis dIs- dIstribution distribution of this bait should be begun as soon as the corn appears above e the ground so that the cutworms may be Ile eliminated as quickly as possible and the Injured hills hUls replanted promptly During the warmer spring months cutworms cutworms cut cut- worms do most of their feeding at nt night and burrow Into the soil soli to the depth of an nn Inch or two during the day so that the bait usually will be bemore bemore more effective If Jf Applied during the late afternoon and early evening ho hours rs Frequently cutworms ml migrate nite to cultivated cultivated cultivated cul cul- fields from adjoining grassland grassland grass grass- land a and d In Jn such cases the crops can be protected by running a n narrow narrowband narrowband narrowband band of the poisoned polson d bait bolt around the edge of of the held field or along the side sille nearest the source of Infestation Cutworm Injury which usually consists con con- lIsts elsts In the cutting of off of the plants at or a n little below the surface of the the- ground almost Invariably occurs In inn Inthe th the spring beginning ns as soon as ns the first filst plants sprout and continuing until until until un un- til late Inte June or r early Jul July by which time the worms are full grown glown The worms feed rit At night and rest during the da day bem-ath bem debris or in In Inthe n the soil soH from one half to one Inch below the the- surface and anal since In most cases they resemble the soil closel closely In color the cause of the Injury often Is not apparent ap ap- parent However If f the soil surrounding surround surround- ing lag the off cut plant be examined carefully carefully carefully care care- fully the culprit probably will be found curled up beneath the surface Parents of Cutworms The parents of cutworms are grayish grayish gray gray- I ish h or brownish moths or millers which commonly occur nt at lights during summer evenings Each moth may lay from to eggs either In masses mass s or singly In fields covered with dense vegetation and hence the eggs are to tobe tobe tobe be found more often than elsewhere In cultivated fields which have hu been In grass or weeds the preceding fall The eggs hatch In the fall a few weeks weeks' after they are laid usually during September and the young cutworms cut after feeding on grass and other vegetation vegetation vege vege- tation until cold weather pass the winter as partly grown caterpillars If Ifan Ifan Ifan an Infested field Is left to grass no noticeable noticeable no no- noticeable Injury Is likely Is' likely to occur occur- occur but but when It t Is broken up and planted to corn or other wide row crops the worms worms suddenly being placed on short rations play havoc with the newly planted crops the nearly full- full grown worms feeding greedily and consuming an enormous amount of food In northern latitudes they attain full growth and stop feeding In late June or early Jul July and then change to the or resting stage |