VOL. XXVI.
-Vcj.\^_\y
INDIANAPOLIS, IND., FEB. 14, 1891.
NO. 7
Cutworms and Crane-flies.
Editors Indiana Farmer:
In conversation with farmers located in
various sections of the State, I find that frequently a misunderstanding exists in regard to these two groups of injurious insects, which we very much need to rectify.
Cutworms, as is well known, comprise an
exceedingly destructive group of insects,
while the larva) or maggots of crane-flies,
though perhaps not less injurious, are
only just coming to the front, as pests of
the grain, clover and grass fields. Therefore, it is more than ever necessary to be
able to clearly distinguish them, in all of
their stages of development, especially as
there is a fair prospect that the ravages of
crane fly larva;, in grain fields at least, will
not be difficult to control.
.   -: Fljr. 1.
Different stages of the cutworm; a, full grown
worm; b, bead; c, d, dorsal and lateral view of the
middle Joint enlarged; e, portion of skin more en-
'mr&rd t-*>,how spinous surface; f, pupa; tt, enlaced
anal tip of pupa; h, male moth.   [After Riley.]
"Cutworms. Fig. 1, a, are partly developed offspring of large, heavy-bodied
moths or millers, Fig. 1, h, and belong to
the same order of insects as do the tent
caterpillar. Army worm and Codlin
moth. They have well developed heads,
Fig. l,b, with jaws fitted for gnawing, and
six welldeveloped feet, situated on the
first three segments of the body just back
of the head. The skin is more or less covered with sparsely placed bristles or short,
stiff hairs. The eggs from which these originate are deposited, as a rule, late in
summer, the worms wintering over half
or two-thirds grown, finishing their development the following spring. When full
fed, they transform in the ground to
brown chrysalids. Fig. 1, f, from which
the fully developed insect emerges.
ing replaced by a couple of stout hooks,
with which tho maggots scratch their food
plant and suck the juices; they are also
without feet. The pupa Fig. 2, b, is entirely different in appearance from the
chrysalids of the cut worm, and, besides,
it is placed in the ground in an upright
position, and just before the fly emerges it
works itself nearly half its length above
the surface of the ground. So far as I have
stud'eJ the insects there are two broods
each year, eggs being laid in spring and
fall, and maggots wintering over, like tho
cutworms, in a partly grown state, finishing thoii development in the spring, and
the adult iiies from these depositing eggs,
from which a second brood of flies originate in the fall. A favorite place for the
females to deposit their eggs, appears to
bs the clover fields, and there is little
doubt but what if truth could be learned,
considerable damage both to clover and
yourjg wheat, where the latter is grown
on clover sod, is done by these larva.*, and,
by the farmers at least, attributed to the
weather. The eflest of these larvre on
wheat and clover, in the spring, is very
similar to tbat of winter killing, except
that the plants are not heaved out of the
soil. Where wheat is sowed upon late
plowed clover sod, or in case clover has
killed without being hove out by the frost,
I would strongly urge an examination of
the plants, in early spring, to see if they
have not really died from injury below
ground, caused by these maggots.
In all cases these insects are here figured
in very nearly life siz*-, and it is hoped
that this note may thus be instrumental
in enabling farmers to clearly separate the
two insects. Also I am very desirous of
learning of any injury to wheat or other
grain following clover, the cause thereof
not being clearly perceptible, or accounted
for by reason of meteorological influences,
and shall probably be able to visit in person, any such fields reported to me.
F. M. Webster.
Experiment Station,  _afayette,  Janu
ary 31st.
John Howk's §3,000 farm residence, near
Rockport, burned Thursday last.
A vein of coal four feet thick, has been
struck, 75 feet down, at .Saline.City.
Crane-flies are entirely different insects,
belonging in the same order of insects as
the Hessian fly and mosquito, to which
theyjbear a general resemblance. I have
frequently heard farmers speak of these as
cutworm files, though in none of their
stages do they resemble, in any way,
those ot the cutworm. The adult fly is
shown in Fig. 2, c, the larva* or maggot,
Fig. 2, a, are of a dirty white color without
head or feet, the front of the body being
capable of contraction and is without hair
or bristles.  They have no jaws, these be-
Fig. 2.
Crane-rly; a, larva, b, pupa; c, adult.   [After Weed.]
TnE activity of farmers, especially concerning game laws, has called forth a,
meetiDg of local sportsmen, at Lafayette,
who "propose to have something to say,
concerning the new law," as per a letter
just received from a Tippecanoe County
reader. We believe there; is no reason to
be alarmed, as the farmers make only a
reasonable demand, and it will, no doubt,
be granted. "Written permission," will
be the way the law will read.
Thorntown is to establish  a creamery.
INDIANA LEGISLATURE.
What has  Been  Accomplished--The  Fee
and Salary Bill--Tardy and Negligent Legislators Still Hampering Business—World's
Fair Bills, etc.
With Saturday last, the flrst half of our
Legislature season expired, and of the 700
odd bills that have been introduced only
12 have become laws. In no other avocation of life is the familiar phrase "time
is money" so practically and efficiently
illustrated as in onr general Assembly.
To calculate at a low estimate every
minute of wasted time means ?2 irreparably lost to the tax-payer; and yet it seems
to be just "the thing" for legislators to be
"a little late." As an example the House
was billed to open last Monday morning at
10 o'clock, but upon calling the House together it was discovered that not even a
quorum was present. So it was adjourned
till 2 o'clock in the afternoon, and then
there were hardly enough to get into running order. We also refer to last Friday
when only 20 members answered to the
roll call—making it necessary to adjourn
for the week.
A great deal of time has been foolishly
wasted in long and aimless orations by
noisy and egotistical "law-makers." At
times when moments are so costly, less
of this kind of "shining" would be more
appropriately in order. As a business
assembly our present one, judging from
the past half session, has been a most expensive luxury to the people of Indiana
—and with but little to its credit. There
is yet time, however, for a great deal of
good and worthy legislation; we await
with no little impatience future results.
During the past week the following bills
were introduced in the Senate:
Senator Smith: a bill compelling dog-
owners to register with trustees.
Senator Moore: providing that township
gravel roads be divided into three divisions, to be let out by commissioners.
Senator Clemens: a bill for the better
protection of the property of persons of
unsouna mind.
Senator Ewing: "State Board" bill,—
which was to have been the special topic
Monday, but was postponed till Wednes
day, on account of negligence in having it
printed, as ordered. Nothing of importance has seen accomplished however, up
to the time of going to press this, Tuesday,
afternoon.
In the House the following bills have
been introduced:
Mr. Faulkner's: providing for the discharge of life-term prisoners, at the expiration of 20 years if their conduct has
been meritorious.
Mr. Cullop: providing for the taxation
of the capital stock of business corporations.
Mr. Branstetter: Providing a penalty
for the killing of quails, except between
Nov. 15th and Dec. 30th; also upon Sundays. One of small purport, including
wild turkeys, prairie hens, woodcocks and
ducks and geese, was introduced by Mr.
Haggart.
Mr. Osterman: regulating the transportation of freight by railroad companies
and common carriers, providing that they
shall not charge a greater proportionate
rate for short distances than for long.
Mr. Howard: providing for a revision
of the present tax law, to secure an assessment of property at its actual cash value.
It prohibits the re-election of township
assessors to a second term. The bill also
provides for a county assessor to look
after omitted property.
Mr. Llndemuth: providing for the appointment of Indiana commissioners to
the World's Fair, and appropriating §200,-
000 towards Indiana's exhibition.
A resolution was introduced Friday by
Mr. Gutherie, of Delaware county, reminding the solemn and dignified "makers of law" that time was fleeiDg and
business pressing; the resolution was
tabled.
Chairman Faulkner, of the southern
prison committee, reported everything
"lovely" at that enviable institution, and
recommended that the warden's salary be
increased from ?1,600 to $2,000, and that of
his deputy from ?800 to $1,000, per year.
The House committee on temperance
has not had a meeting yet and shows no
disposition that way—although a number
of bills have long been waiting their consideration.   Mr. Gent is chairman.
Mr. French's six pr-r cent interest bill
was virtually defeated by the rejection of
a vital amendment, Thursday last. Tho
vote resulted in 22 ayes and 21 nays. (The
roll-call is on file, and if any interested
reader wishes, we will upon request send
them a duplicate copy.) The bill was
finally "tabled."
It is to be hoped that something will be
done this week in regard to the Fee and
Salary bill. The bill was reported to the
House by its committee, Friday last, and
ordered printed, but it has not as yet, been
reported to the Senate, though it is hoped
it will be before the week is out. There is
some talk among the members as to its
being unconstitutional and there is no
doubt but that every means will be taken
to defeat its passage. (See editorial elsewhere.)
In the House, Messrs. Aikman, Officer,
Rude, Still, Thompson (of Marshall Co.),,
and Wells have introduced no bills. In
this respect Judge Glessner, of Shelby Co.
has led, having introduced 19; Mr. Fip-
pen coming next with 15; Cullop with 14;
Lindemuth, 13, and McCullough, 10.
The Fee and Salary bill was introduced
in the .Senate Tuesday morning. There
were 32 members in the  joint committee.
The Dog law was also reported, tho committee being unanimously in  favor of it.
The House has 18 doorkeepers, at _4 per
day; the Senate, 19 at ?5 per day. This,
we understand, is several more than the
law allows.
WHAT THEY SAT.
Mr. H. M. Creviston, Marion, Ind., who
has been advertising chicks and turkeys
in the Indiana Farmer, fays:
"Thanks. The Indiana Farmer is the
paper to advertise in. I have sold a fine lot
of breeding birds this season through my
advertising in it."
Another advertiser, of pigs, writes:
"I receive more enquiries and orders
through my advertising in the Indiana
Farmer than from the three other papers.
I use, combined. It is the paper to adven-
tise live stock in."
In the search of phosphates, many discoveries havo been made which have
added materially to the wealth of fair
Florida, but probably the most interesting
one is the find of a deposit of genuine
meerschaum.
The farmers in several localities are
getting the canning craze. Because the
business of growing tomatoes, peas, sweet
corn, etc., has paid fairly well in the
vicinity of certain large canning factories,
they have the idea that they must have a
factory too and devote their land to these
crops. This may be wise and possibly it
may be otherwise. If the canning business increases too rapidly and canned
goods become a drug on the market the
companies would not be able to pay the
farmers for their vegetables, and these being largely of a perishable nature, their _
season's work would be lost. We think
the supply of such goods is pretty well up
to the demand, and do not advise farmers
generally to depart from the usual routine
of cropping.