The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1856-01-03

We take the following article from the
Patent OEcc Report OH Agriculture:
When the cotton plant is very young and
tender, it is particularly subject to the at
tncks of the cotton ousc, which, by means
of lis i.;crrcr. rcnvtratcs through the outer
coating, or parcnchyma, of the leaf or ten
der shons, and sucks the sap from the
wound. The under part of the leaves or
young shoots are the places mostly selected,
and the constant .,nnctures, and consequent
drainage Of sap, cnfeehles the plant, caus-
ing the leaf to curl ur, turn yellow, and
subsequently witjlcr away and fall to the
ground. The Young lice are extremely
minute AMI of q Srtcnsh color; but when
they become older, they arc about tcn.l,
Of Ri incli i'll length, and often of dark
green, or, in some instances, almost black.
! fancy til" color somewhat depends upon
the health oi the plant, us we'll rs that Of
the insect, or, perhaps, upon the food, as
have H:cn Srrc, an.l black lice promiscu-
onsy feeding upon the same plants: The
female produces her young alive during the
summer, when she may often he seen SUR
rounded by her numerous progeny, sucking
the juice from the leaves and still produ-
cling young. Some natur;llists state that
the females, late in tile fall, produce eggs
for the future spring generation. Ii so, it
is in order to preserve the species, as the in
sects themselves are easily killed hy cold
and frost; aud their increase would be in
calculab!c were it not that kind Nature has
provided many enemies amongst the insect
tribe to prcvcn: their too rapid muItiplica-
ton. Both males and females are said, at
certain seasons, to possess wings, but the
females and young i'll summer appear to be
wingcss. The end of the abdomen of both
sexes is provided with two slender tubes,
rising like horns from the back, from which
cxudcs the "honcy dew" or sweet gunrny
substance, seen sticking to the upper sides
OF the leaves bencatl, them, and which
forms the lavoritc food Of myriads of ants.
Although young plants are mostly attacked,
{ yet have seen old "slands" in Georgia
with their young shoots completely covered
}itil this pest rs late rs November.
= The principal insects that destroy the
cotton lousc are the lady-brd, the lace-f1y,
and the surplus, all Of which wage inccs-
SAINT war upon the. lice and devour all they
can find. Another fly, the ichneumon, like
wise lays an egg in the body of the louse,
which, Matching into a grub, dcvours the
inside Of the still living insect until it
eventually dies. clinging to the leaf even in
death, and the fly makes its appearance
from the old skin of the louise. Wien old
cotton plants are suffering from the attacks
of the louise, many planters recommend the
tops Of such to be cut off and burned, md
by SO. doug partially succeed in destroying
them, ;fyet when we consider that by this
method many young "bloolns" and "forins''
must likewise be destroyed, and prevented,
from Naturipg, it must be confessed that
the remed5sis almost as bad as the disease.
r,In n garden or greenhouse, solution Of
whale pil soap, from a syringe, showefed
upon the upper and underparts of the foil.
age, has been used with much advantage
yet, Upon the extended scale Of a cotton
plantation, such n remedy istltogether too
tiaiDg and .impracticable, andnntii wascau
collect ctfnrthersi sinformatiou from intelligent
Planters npoi this subject, we must res,
content with the instinct of our insect al.
Viggins. what era in the yorld'a
history do yoa regsrd With llte deepest
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