LIFE OF THE CORN BORER Part 3
Description
The original catalog description provided by the Ford Motor Company reads as follows: “In the great struggle for corn crop protection Michigan has installed an experimental station devoted solely to the study of the corn borer. Control of this destructive pest means much to everyone.” “Here are grown many varieties of corn under various conditions and planted at different dates. The work of the insects on these different plants is closely observed.” View of cornfield. “Small screen cages, placed in cornfield are used to test out any preference shown by the moths in depositing their eggs.” View of several cages over corn. “Each borer during its life passes through four stage.” Close-up of borer. “In May the last years stalks harbor many over wintering larvae or ‘worms.’” Larvae being scraped out of stalk. “The pupal stage which follows is a brief resting stage.” Borer in stalk. “During June and July each pupa changes to a winged moth which may fly twenty to thirty miles to new field.” Moth coming out and flying away. “The life mission of each female moth is to lay several hundred eggs.” Female laying eggs. “Each female lays several clusters of flat, scale-like eggs on the surfaces of (corn) leaves.” Man going through leaves finds cluster and female. “After a few days the eggs hatch. At first the eggs are white.” View of white cluster. “Later a pink tint shows through the shell.” Eggs in later stage. “And finally the dark heads of the developing larvae show through the translucent egg shells.” Cluster showing little dark spots. “Finally each egg hatches out a tiny hungry larva or ‘worms.’” View of larva coming out of egg and small worms on a leaf. “At first the tiny larvae eat small holes in the leaves, sheathes and tassels.” View of holey leaf. “The borers, however, shortly penetrate into the stalks, out of sight and out of reach.” Close-up of man cutting into stalk to expose worm. “Where they entirely disorganize the pith.” “Oftentimes chewed fibers and frass advertise the presence of the borer.” Close-up of chewed portion of stalk. “Broken tassels are common and often call attention to the presence of the borer.” Tassel broken and hanging. “Even the tips of the stalks are excavated.” View of tip being cut open. “The borers are often found in the ears, at times feeding on the soft kernels.” View of ear with worm eating through center. “And frequently borers may be found in the pith of the corn.” “The presence of the borer in the ear is often indicated by perforations in the husk.” View of borer infested husk. “Somewhat resembling the corn borer is the corn-ear worm.” Close-up of worm. “It is much larger and varies in color but is almost always striped lengthwise.” “Sometimes the two are found in a single ear.” Close-up of the two worms. “When viewed in company the larger corn-ear worm does not so closely resemble its more dangerous competitor.” “The corn-ear worm characteristically feeds on the soft kernels, consuming several rows most commonly near the tip.” Corn-ear worm eating ear tip. “The borer may work in any part of the ear but most often makes long channels between the rows of kernels.” “The borer often enters the cob from the stem at its base.” Man pulls up stalks, opens, and shows inside. “Weighing up of yield in plats.” Two men weighing bushels of corn. “Upon America’s two billion dollar corn industry is dependent a varied livestock and poultry industry from which we derive much of our food.” Man feeding hogs, cows eating, an feeding sheep, chickens. “Fields like this are the borer’s stronghold.” “Therefore it is necessary to take every means of combating this corn crop menace. Cutting corn stalks close to the ground is one method.” Two men on tractor and binder cutting down stalks. “An adjustable cutter on this binder leaves little for the corn borer to live on. Less stubble-less trouble.” Close-up of cut down stalk. “Plow the stalks and stubble deep beneath the surface of the ground, leave nothing for the borer to feed upon.” Man plowing field and picking up loose pieces of stalk. “Burn the rubbish.” “Or the old enemy will be on the job stronger than ever.” “The End.” [1927]
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