VOL.
XXII.
INDIANAPOLIS, IND., SATURDAY, SEPT. 24,1887.
NO. 39
Writteu^or the Indiana Farmer.
.   "ihe Corn or Boll Worm.
*~     ,-'   llfehothis Armiger, Huh.
BY F. M. WKUSTKB.
Jhe present season has been a very favorable one for this insect, and as a result,
the corn fields are subject to severe attacks
from the larvm working in the ears.
The insect is shown in Fig. 1, in all its
stages:   a and b the eggs; e, tho worm; d,
7fV".
Fig. 1.
the chrysalis in cocoon of earth; c, adult
moth with the wings spread; /, same, as at
rest. Fig. 2 shows the worms at work,
also, in the lower right hand corner, the
earthen cocoon, the chrysalis and adult
motb.
In the United States, the insect's known
under both of those names here given.
The corn worm is applied in the North,
while in the South it is called boll worm,
as it attacks that part of the cotton. The
species is, however, well nigh cosmopolitan, being found in Xorth and South
America, West Indias, England, Spain,
Germany, Italy, France, Asia, Africa,
Malay Archipelago, Australia, Xew Zealand and Xavigator Isles.
Besides the corn and cotton, these worms
attack the pea, bean, cow-pea, melon,
squash and tomato. Xorth of the Ohio
river, however, their chief injury is to
corn.
The full grown worm is about an inch
and a quarter long, rather robust, taper-
ingslightly toward the head. In color they
vary somewhat; individuals being of a pale
green, and others dark brown; usually,
however, they are, when feeding on corn,
more or less yellowish, striped with shades
of greenish and brown. There are several
black, shining, elevated tubercles on each
segment, each bearing a short brown hair.
The eggs are yellowish-white, and the
adult moth, which is rather robust and
heavy bodied, has yellowish gray or
clayey-yellow fore wings, tinged with
olive-green and marked with lines of
darker green and darker brown, or black.
The hind wings are of a paler shade, witha
broad, blackish outer band, inclosing a
pale spot, toward the apical portion.
Prof. Riley states that there are two, and
possibly three broods of the larvie which
may attack the corn. In the South there
are five or six broods in a season. At
present writing (Sept. 8th) the worms may
be found of nearly all sizes, but I have not
been able   to follow   them during previ
ous months, having been absent in the
South, whither my duties as agent of the
United States Bureau of Entomology
called me, but after October 1st I should
be very glad to get examples, from all
parts of the State, and as late in the season
as possible.
The worms, when full fed, descend into
the earth and transform to the chrysalis.
Prof. French, of Illinois, has demonstrated
that if the ground be plowed after
this has taken "place, they are
thrown out to be drenched with
rains, and frozen by the cold
weather of winter, few will survive to transform to adults the following year. Hence, it will be liest
for those who can do so, to plow-
such fields as are now infested,
lute this fall, and thereby prevent
their emerging next spring as they
would otherwise do.
The damage by reason of this
insect is likely to be much" more
severe in the southern than in the
northern portion of the State.
Their enemies among the birds
are, the blue bird, the orchard and
the Baltimore orioles, king bird
and the quail.
A    full    epitome  of    the   facts
known in regard to   the insect will
THE CROPS.
Returns from the Central and Western States.
Our latest reports from the Central and
Western States indicate about the results
of this year in the staple crops, and for
want of space we condense thoso roturns,
giving the aggregates on the leading crops.
INDIANA.
In our last report we stated that the
average per acre of wheat would be about
13 liushels, but reports from threshermen
indicate a little over that, and It now appears that the wheat crop will be between
30,000,000 and 40,000,000 bushels.
Corn 00 per cent of a full crop.
Oats with nearly an average area, 32
bushels per acre.
Potatoes average below 30 bushels per
acre.
ILLINOIS.
Wheat, 13 bushels per acre for the State.
Corn, about 48 per cent of a crop.
Oats, average area, 31 bushels per acre.
Potatoes, yield per acre, 32 bushels.
OHIO.
Wheat yield 13 bushels per acre.
Oorn 68 per cent  of a crop for the whole
State.
Oats'yield>n;average area 33 bushels.
Potatoes 44 bushels per acre.
MISSOURI.
Wheat about 12 bushels per acre.
(-JuuMB per cent of a crop.
Oatsj32J-i bushels per acre.
Potatoes 88 bushels per acre.
KKM'l'CKY.
Wheat 12Ji,.bu8hels per acre.
Corn 49 per cent of full crop.
Oats 24 }4 bushels per acre.
Potatoes 28 bushels per acre.
KANSAS.
Wheat 11J4 bushels per acre.
Corn 41K per cent of a crop.
Oats yield 26 bushels per acre.
Potatoes 76 bushels per acre.
IOWA.
Wheat 72 per cent of a crop.
Corn 78 per cent.
Oats 32K bushels per acre.
Potatoes 61 bushels.
NEBRASKA.
Wheat 12"-*- bushels per acre.
Corn 70 per cent of a crop.
Oats 34 J4 bushels per acre.
Potatoes 81 bushels per acre.
Dakota reports  98 per cent on   her corn
crop and Minnesota 80 per cent.
eight points. Thirty points for each
pound of butter. One point for each
twenty days from calving, and one point
for every twenty days of gestation dating
from last service.
FIRST 1'ltIZE.
W. A. Reburn's   Jersey cow Jolie of St.
Lambert 3d.
Milk per day *S-75 lbs.
Solids per cent 16.1)1 equal to 3.848 lbs. X 8 SO.784
Fat per cent 6.91 equal to 1.WW lbs. x 30 57.0*0
Days since calving IOU-20 8.000
Days of gestation 70-M *■"**
(W.314
SF.OONI> PRIZE.
Thos. Brown's   Ayrshire cow "Dossey."
Milk per day 3.1.6 lbs.
Milk solids per cent 13.8 weight 4.66(1 lbs. x8 3H.44S
Kat imt cent 5.1 weight I.Tnsft x 30 **-*■
Hays since calving 11U-9I  8.200
Days ot gestation M 3.050
M M
\Vfrz glitirtj.
Prof. Arnold says cows fed on meal
mixed with straw, cut and moistened,
gave more milk and considerably richer
than when fed on the best hay alone.
Fig. 2.
be found in tho Fourth Report of United
States Entomological Commission.
Purdue University.
Don't be wasteful of the corn fodder.
It should be run through a cutting box
and cut into short bits, mixed with meal
and wheat bran, moistened enough to
stick to the cut stalks. If so fed there is
a great saving, and the cows will do far
better. Don't waste the fodder by feeding
it in crude and the usual way.
MILCH COW COMPETITION AT THE PROVINCIAL EXHIBITION, QUEBEC.
The mode of judging the exhibits entered in this competition was as follows:
For every   pound of   dry   milk   solids,
Bitter Milk.
Xow is the time   to look   for that nuisance in the dairy—bitter milk.   Just what
causes it  cannot always   be told.   Sometimes it is the   fault of the farmer,   sometimes of   the cow,   and oftener   the dairy
maid herself is to   blame.   When it is the
farmer's   fault,   it   will   probably   lie   in
either the water  or the   condition of   the
pasture.   There are all   sorts of germs living in stagnant  and impure   water,   that
may become so  numerous, even  though
the eye cannot  detect their presence, that
they taint the water to that extent that the
alchemy of the  cow cannot destroy them,
and so they find   their way into the milk,
making it ropy and bitter.   Again,  there
are numerous weeds that at a certain stage
of their growth or development present a
tempting bite   to the  cows, and   in some
way the acid  of their juices  gets into the
milk and injures it.   The remedy is plain
enough—give the cows only  pure, clean
water to drink, and fence them away from
stagnant pools   and swampy   parts of the
pasture.   When bitter milk is the fault of
the cows, it is generally attributed to their
being too long in milk, though sometimes
the reverse, that  is, too fresh,   the colus-
trum   still remaining   in it.   Some  cows
may retain this much longer than others,
and be a cause of mischief, without arousing   the suspicion   of their   owners.   We
never took  much stock   in in**  "feverish
condition" theory.   When a cow is feverish she is sick  and refuses  to give  milk,
while her  breath is  offensive,   and   any
man is   a fool who   would use   the   milk
from such  a cow.   When   bitter milk  is
the   fault  of   the   dairy maid   it   simply
means   that she   is slovenly in her habits
and does not  keep the cans clean.   Water
that is   red hot  when   applied—and   this
means to the last  as well as the first cans
washed—will remove  all grease, whether
soap  is  used  or not.   Keep  the  pot  of
water on the stove and the fire going until
the last article is clean,   if you want to do
a  conscientious  and  thorough   job.     If
these remarks lead to  the  discovery  of
the  source of   bitter milk   in one   single
dairy, then we have   not lived and writ in
vain.—American Dairyman.
—Xo, not wholly in vain, but lacking
somewhat. A prominent dairyman says
that he has found rag weed another source
of the trouble complained of. And so
cows need to be kept out of fields containing this weed, where they are likely to
eat it, on account of short forage of a better kind.—Eds.