The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1852-11-25
AE.S.lE>U.A A!fIIHAl,s
From. Tie Nutchez Courier1

TIE ROT IN COTTON-ITS CAUSES;
The following communication from mos.
cssimable gentleman of Marion County. Ei,
onezer Ford. Esq, will he found deeply ill
terestng. MIR. r., has mado dige,i: per
s"E;d examination into the cause. OF rot in
cotton, and his observations are, on that ;.c-
count, entitled to great respect. Many
theories have been preached and spccu!a
tons advanced tho present fill upon ;lis
subject; but few of them, however, have
tccn based Gil anything more than mere
opinion, "r perhaps :. cs::*ory look at /, cot
ton field
AIR: Ford haa ohii,,;ngly favored lis with
drawings "t live species Of the "picrcc Bug"
varying in form anu color. Tic draw
i"Gs are coi"rcd, and appear to lie exceed
lnyy natural. We shall he glad to show
thcEl to amy friends interested in the iucu;,y
SpHlSa COTTAGE, Miss Oct. II, 1852.
MIR. q. NJ. Hiilycr: Sir-lIaving noticed
many supposed causes, assigned by your
and either correspondents, of the rot in cotton
and finding, upon strict examination rs TO
the cause, that all are at fault, ~i!l, for in
formation to the planting community. rive
You description Of the bugs that pierce tho
cotton bolls a.,l produce the fomentine rot.
1t Is varied species of, and very similar
TO- IN all leading particulars, tho bug COM
monty known as the China Bug. Hcrcun-
to appended, YOU have a rough and hastily
drawn sketch an'! painting Of five srcyiss.
siiierllrg oil, iii form and color. All are
alike AIMED with proboscis in length in pro-
portion to the size of the insect, which the;
carry unemployed OH the brexst Gas Al, ass:,,-
sln dones his dagycr.) When turned down
to the body, it is almost i,nrrec,ptible--
" hen engaged at their mischief, they throw
the bill forward at will, and at right angles
~iti' the body, and commence feeling round
on bo'!s. is though to find soft pac, as a
mosquito, then drive it down to the core of
the boil, and draw it partially up and suck
for a time; then drive il down again and
suck; draw it from the boil and wipe it oyer
and move round the boil and pierce it :.ra;u
Or fiy to another. They appear to be very
Wild; when approached, they shy over crab
Ike :S sie opi-'st,; side oi the i-ai-and are
to be found st their work Of dest ructou only
late OF an c'e':iag Or eafiy II the Iuoraing.
Through the day, thay arc sccrstol in the
cotton bloom, under the covering Of the boil
or forms. IL cluster Of leaves.
He u5nUt, fave niarHuu .nrls rf.::. we're
ound and healthy. that ;aw hos, tvgs
'ierce, and examined t1eln from day 20 day
,ntil rotten. Ia Iii Laise open weather the lit
lie, rusty, brown Bpot j. app,aient ia t!,.se
o four days upon the boil pierced; -:ai j..
!tout the same space Of time thereafter, the
,olis marked were rotten. In rainy OF clou-
ly weather, the first preceptib!c evidence is
! white, moul.iy spot upon the boil.
BY observation, I have discovered that
he infection impaired by those Bugs pro-
presses much more slowly in fair, open
Weather, than in rainy I'D cioady xeathei
And am Of opinion from la.e obsesvstlcas
with my recoi.?c,ions OF tho 20.
n cotton from 1918 to 1924, tha!, wl.er
lie weather favors the oppera:ion OF those
Insects. the rot spreads IS an eGidenic.-
Having observed many otLer insects, than
hose described heretofore, sucking the
boil. and flying from boil to Toll,
by which l spprshend the contagion may
spread, as an epidemic, ard as have observed
1uriag rainy spells many diseased bolls, up
on which could find no evidence of their
having been pierced by Bugs srst described,
conclude others may. carry the Infection.
IL Siidii OpupG .usiI IuC uSSCllO-
ed, cause the most disastrous riot i'll cotton,
let such but mako the examination as have
done, and they will doubt no more.
have noticed an opinion entertained by
some, of Al antitlotc in the importation or
change Of seed Fresh seed, or change
Of seed, gives more abundant yield, doubt
less. But it may well be doubted, whether
those insects will pay any respect to
seed, if they shall appear again next sea
son.
On examination of different crops or
yields, where could find no rot, I could
find no Bags rs those described; and whore
I found the the rot / found the Bugs also.
l have noticed further, that where cotton
has been planted several years in succession,
the rot is more apparent 1 have also re-
marked some difference in tho result between
old and new lands.
Having discovered the origin of the rot,
I tender information to the pu bic, with the
hope that Providence may remove the
cause, OF that some one may discover the
remedy.
Very respectfully, your. ob't serv't.
'' EBEN'R FORD.
A.>sS--
u,TyE c,>SyuLvr' 1,OrTAT0