The Great Garden Plague of 1889
A voracious 'brown worm' army descends on Seattle, wiping out local vegetable patches and leaving residents desperate for a solution.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
A brown worm from an inch to an inch and a half in length has made its appearance and is playing havoc with Seattle gardens. It is a most voracious creature and seems to be inordinately fond of cabbage, pea vines, green corn leaves, the leaves of tender flowers, clover, hop leaves and potato vines. In one instance, a yard full of potato vines was attacked by the worm and not a leaf was left. Those who own flower gardens are at a loss what to do to protect their plants from this plague. If a few are killed, thousands take their places. It is thought that they are the justly celebrated army worm. The oldest settlers say that it is the first time these unwelcome visitors have appeared in Seattle gardens, and they are at a loss to know how to repel their attacks. They ask for information on the best way to repel the invaders from those who have had experience with army worms.
“If a few are killed, thousands take their places.”
While historic pest outbreaks like this often triggered 'miracle cure' advertisements in the margins, today's gardeners face similar challenges with invasive species, albeit with more chemical and ecological tools at their disposal. The mention of 'oldest settlers' highlights the period's constant flux, where a booming town was perpetually surprised by the local environment it was rapidly replacing.
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