THE ARMY WORM.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 418, 29 January 1909, Page 2

THE ARMY WORM.

;: CAUSE OF - ' The \\ Government,; Biologist -(Mr;:T. : -Wi;-;-« '■;- Kirk)'. reports, that- the chief fcaiise of-' the- , '. plague '.of 'caterpillars which;have> destroyed ;.','.,:-:-. 'crops in Canterbury,• Hawkes.Bay,';.and else* ■ '■'!■ where, -is,the, New.; Zealand army-*worin,,:"de« 1 ;.|_'■'■; ;';'.■ scribed in'leafiet: years ago.'";; The: ■'.';.. ;;'■. large'-velvety browii'-'moth, :from : 'whose : 'egga : V : ..." ■the : cate'rpiUars hatch,, lays'about ; 200 .eggs' , '. . . per annum,' chiefly;on grass'and'otherleaf-: , - ,age;''-There; : are'..many.natural enemies^'birds^.:':■;;' . and.ihsectsj-.whioh prey;upon:the i caterpill6ir/ l .;f \;; »and on this account "a:plague this-year T inay ;,•".;■ '. . be followed.by comparative ininiunity:nest: : :.';: year.; ; Mr.;Kirk ;has supplied the fblldwing p;; .■'■; information on :the.subject'.'fori the benefit'bf-;?-;. tml&ttS^ A-::'/<. : ; : :;^:y : :/; : % ■^[^ '' . ' I^afie^;No/'i3;giyes'pa'rticulars;o% : tlie'j^^&' : . ';'•■ juries' done- , ' to "'crops,' -etc., "in l the s .Is T ofth : / '■ island/up t0'1895.,'.;,;, '.:^-.; : '' -Z •■;':, ".";v':''v-:i,fc-. ,--. . In--these Melencha "(Mamestra)' coinposita r>; .: . was ■ihe-:principai offender, although' .other. r .j, : : ;, caterpillars .helped.. The 'mode of attack Wa5.. , .;,.,... the sanie'v- •.Countless numbersof caterpillars,,.; ; :.: eating. eVerything before them) wore forced ■'.■•' by their owu numbersi to, marchi irusearch .of ' food!" :. : "i,' ' ■''. .. ~ '...,. .:■■.— ;,;:■;■.._•'• •■. •' Quite a number of insects; are parasitic on ~,; " .: this species ; of.- ; moth,, laying their .eggs, in the i: , •■ liring caterpillars, so thftt, instead of/moths,'-, ; .., . they give .birth'jto.parasites.: : Sterlings tare,-); ; ; : . inveterate enemies of the.grass/caterpillarj.;,-. and devournpnjbe'rs'.. Heavy;and.continuous''. 'J], ■ ' rain works , havoc'■ among.; them and ;.all >other,;v,'. . surface caterpillars.'. After-such .weather they \M- : mayvbe se€n-:.dead::in..all• directions. , ;: .They,:':.;•.■. ■■~ may be prevented from reaching^fresh^paß*:'.-;, tures or crops by- adopting thevfollowing. ; ': .■ method of. checking the^i—namely,- by-plough-,., ;■■■,■ <. ing or digging ;a stre&ch; across -the, line-, of V ; : march, , , on.,the ' side' nearest the -paddock to .::-::' ■ • be protected, .the .sides'of!the furrbvr should -. , be perpendicular, on,'.better still, > slightly- • v: : ': r undercut, if: possible, ito; prevent ;,the wonns '-,>,c; crawling .but of jPits-'are"';.,': . dug'iri ; the; cater- • ■:-, •■'■ pillars beiM:Lunabk.\te;;'cra\?is.up'.''.tteV.sid!e.!"-.'-!- r ''' of the- troncli,:'crawl-along: ah'd-;fall--into-the; •. - ' .'■. pits, where..they.^taay : b6..killed}Jy-:'spraying:-.£..:-'- : : with vkerosene and water,.br ; carbolic', and l water/or: by drawing a..10g along.the , jditch.;- v: Tarred boards,- set on edge, and. sloping from' i'.-• '■..'• the. crop tq-bo-, protected.r havft-prpved 'vsry\..'.'- v r_ helpfvil' the: .inroads ■'■bf-.;''.theae..•';.-.' .;'■-. ,caterpillars;,'V-'v; : :"-. : ': : -:-: ; .:-v:' V..; .■■ '.'■:' ; •;- ; ; v, '■'■'. . possible to spray-an'infested;br,■','..•.•'.', ,threa,ten6d-paddock witK .arsenate ,.,of..lead,-;. -. - this should. be.-dbne.' - The borders of the-fielo • ; ■'■■,'•.... likely, to be; invaded.should); if "practicable, -;;. -/■""• always be done this way,, or else they:shouli?.,: .■;,-: be dusted with a .misrture.iof arsenic, or pari» -.■;., green and.'flour-pr,lime:, lib. :arsenic : to:one.- , -; ,: '; bushel lime. . - ,: ; r , ■<■■&■■'.-: [■■, :^--^-! ; ; ■■'■ .:■■■■':','. ■ : - A largp;mbb.o_f sheepidriveh-ba'ckwarde-and -:■.,: . ■ ,-forwards '■• over - : infested .areas... .o£ ; grass-has":. V ;, -: also been found -of- service in- cnishirigvjarge ->.',;, ' \\- lumbers of , the-caterpillars.•■;:. When - ; it .can.-bt , ;-.-. , .managed, burning;off the grassjn autumn 0j.:,.. ; . --: early, spring will prove advantageous in bi11..,-- -:- ing: the., caterpillars' lying .torpid, ;an.d<:de':-;. : ' ■:'• - •stroyins old stems on whiclv-theUmoths-of;;'. --f . the.spring brood prefer to lay their eggs.;'- . ; J;;:■■:,