The true Democrat., 1857-03-10
From the New York Day Book. The Pests of the Cotton Fields.


 "Insects Frequenting Cotton Plants" and from this valuable article we propose to make as libe- ral extracts as the space in our columns, which we devote to this subject will permit The cotton plant appears to furnish food for nume- rous races and classes of insects, some of which feed on the leaf, some on the flower, while others destroy the young buds and bolls. Many of these insects atfrst appear in small numbers, and only become formidable in the second or third generation; thus for instance, a female boll-worm will produce 500 moths one half of which are males and the other half females and the next generation, which comes upon the stage in few weeks, will count at least 125,- GOO caterpillars or moths, and, in order to de- stroy these insects, it will at once be compre. hended that prompt and timely action is neces- sarv
 Insects injurious to the cotton plant, consists of those very destructive to the general crop such as the boil worm, cotton. caterpillar and some others, and those which do but little in- jury, their numbers being not sufficiently great to cause much damage, such as the leaf-roling caterpillar and several insects hereafter men, toned There are still others, which do not materially iniure the crop itself, such as the span worm, and others which only feed upon the petals of the flowers. There are also ln- sects found in the cotton fields which do no da- mage whatever to the plant, feeding upon weeds and grass growing between the rows, such as the caterpillar of the Aryynnis Cotun'b'na, which feeds upon the passion-vl and that of the Zanthidia niceppe which sometimes devoars the Maryland cassia, and produces the beauti- full orange colored butterflies, seen in vast num- bers lowering over moist or wet places on the plantations. class of insects highly benef- cia, comprehends the larva of the lady bird, the chneumon flies, and many others that are ever on the search for living victims amongst the noxious tribes, aud which serve to keep the numbers of the latter within proper bounds. | It being highly necessary to recognize the injurious from the inuoxious as well as the use- | full insects it may be well to describe most of those which iniest the cotton fields, as many of these feed upon and injure the plants in one state or another, and althought they may do but little injury at first, yet, were they to mul- tiply fast as some others, they would even- tualy become as complete nuisance as the boil. worm is at present. According to a com muncation from Col. Whtner, of Florida, the latter insect was scarcely known in that region before the year 1847, but it has increased to such an extent since, as to cause an immense yearly loss to the planters
 | Several methods of destroying insects on | plantations have been recommended, one of which is burning torches. or the use of hres.- | The innumerable myrads of nocturnal moths, attracted by the lights, burn their wings as they hover around, and are either destroyed at once, or disabled from flying about to deposit their eggs in distant parts of the field A species of lantern has been used for entrapplng such as are attracted by lights, and with some success. 1 poisonous preparation has been attempted with partial success, to kill of the insects; in these experiments some few succeeded, while many failed In several instances the insects would not touch the mixture at all But while so many artificial means are resorted to for the purpose of destroyinng these in sects planters are apt to overlook the great daily be- nefits derived from other agents which have been kindly provided by nature to check their undue increase These agents are the birds which constantly destroy them in any of their varied forms, larva, pupa or perfect insect.- | Mocking birds and bee-martins catch and de- stroy the boil worm, moth, and many others, even on the wing, when the latter first appear upon the plantations, and thus materially di- mlnlsh their numbers.
 l! the fields are plowed in the fall, many in- sects and chrysalides, which would otherwise come out in safety in the spring, are turned to the top of the furrow slice and either fall prey l to the wintry frosts
 The nimbe and graceful lizards of the south also act benelicially to the planter, as they are constantly on the alert and catching every in sect that chances to alight in their way. Toads, also, do much good as they wander principally i in the morning and evening hours as we'll as m cloudy weather and entrap insects by means of thelr vascid tongues. Such beneiactors should be reserved and not injured or killed, as they too often are. One pair of wrens in northern garden or of mocking birds on south ern plantation will accomplish more in destroy lng li.sects injurious to vegetation than could De imagined by one who has not studied their habits or watched them with attention when busy engaged in searching under every leaf, and in every tissue of the bark for these insect prev.
 It will not be possible to go into detail of the character and habits of the tribe of cotton pets which are treated upon with the minute ness of the naturalist, by the talented contri- butor to the report, but present brief de- scrptlon of some of the more destructive of the class, with which that able correspondent seems so well acquainted. Insects found upon the stalk, under the denomination of cut worms, large and miscellaneous army of de- predators, one class; they cut off the plant ! '~'.' '''o S'N''", SibC' hoiii tHcT UOieS at night. These attacks are only made when the plant is young, in the early part of the season.
 Insects found on the leaf are another kind of which, prominently comes the cotton louse. Their attacks are made when the plant is young and tender. This insect has a little piercer. with which 1t peretrates the outer coating of the leaf or tender shoot, and sucks the sap from the wound. The young lice are of green color but when older, quite dark green or black, and about one tenth of an inch in length.
 The female produces her young alive through the summer, when she may be seen sucking the juice of the leaf, her numerous progeny surrounding her, and still producing more daily.
 The enemies to these insects are the lady bird
 the lace fly and the syrphus, all of which wage a constant war upon them, and devour all they can find. Both males and females of the cot ton louse are provided with wings at certain seasons, butin summer the females appear with out those useful appendages.
 Another enemy of the louse is flv called the chneumon, which lays an egg in it's body, and this egg, matching into grub, devours the inside of the still living insect, until it eventu- ally dies. chnging to the old leaf even in death and the fly makes its appearance from the old skin of the louse
 There is no practicable remedy for the at-
 tacks of the cotton louse Whale oil soan
 from syringe, showered upon the plant has answered the purpose on a small scale but to apply It to plantation, is out of the question.
 The enemies of the insect tribes of their own race, are the only agents the planter can rely upon.
 Grasshoppers or locusts occasionally do da. mage to young cotton plants, not only feedinc upon leaves, but devouring the petals of the flowers, in some cases. Several species of this insect infest old corn6elds, some of them beiny or large size, and possessing great powers of e'sn1 urasshoppers and locusts arc produced rom eggs , as perfect insects, with legs and at- 'euu@. They are able to run about, and leap
 w;en great asility, but are entirely destitute of wings, expect in the pupa state It i, oni, the perfect insects which are able to narnetnats their kind. r''po'ua'e l The Ieaf= Hannax ;a