The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-10-07
TIE CATERPILLAR.
The Means OF It's Preservation and Pre-.
ventfon.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE NEWS.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE NEWS. :,
| Again we have been Invaded by the enemy.
The caterpillars have spoiled us, and are about
going into winter quarters. Andsyet, no one
that know of Inns. attempted to discover their
habits, their origin, or how they are preserved
FLOR another campaign.
IL may be prcsumptuous for one SO entirely
unacquainted as myself with the science of en-
| tomology, to attempt to write on the subject;
! but can honestly say that do It In order to
| stimulate and elicit the views of others, who
have greater opportunities to investigate and
arrive at the facts by personal observation.
This investigation should commence no,o.
have never believed that the moth is
preserved in crysalis In the eqrh 1 think
that nature provides what common sense die
tates-a dry exposure. I do not credit the
theory that they arc Of more Southern origin;
the fact that they appear first in more southcr-
ly latitudcs, may be accounted for by the cir
cumstance that the seasons there are earlier.
With great Difference to those who have given
their opinions, ask that my theory may be
considered; although no great novelty Is claim
cd for 1t. It's, that the caterpillars are pre-
served here. OF the myrlads in the different
stages through which they pass, those in chry-
sails only are preserved, when n temperature
not congcnial TO life suddenly overtakes them.
Only fraction OF the myrlads Is preserved
Birds of various kinds, particularly the mock
ing-bird and thrush, do make havoc with them
In early spring, TO feed their young; but I
think that some other reason than that they
were destroyed by the negroes must be found
oaccount for their scarcity, which is an admit
ted fact. Cufee would hardly open his ammu-
milton on such small game.
/ believe that the caterpilars appear earlier
than they are usually observed, ana assume
that about the 10th June one may appear In a
field OF .dre hundred acres. There are 1000
stalks to the acre, rather thick planting: but
with wider planting, the growth of plants will
DC In proportion. Having assumed that only
one moth appears In that area about the middle
OF June, assume that 1t deposits on one or
more plants one thousand eggs, say in the
space OF square inch; that on or about the
9Th July that thousand Is multiplied q thou
sand fold more, or one million; that on or
about the 28th July another brood is produced
and multiplied as the first; and it will require
no great skill In arithmetic to discover how
many Of the last brood should share one stalk
of that five hundred acres. 1t may be said all
Will not procreate, and for TINT reason I have
allowed a very large dimnutIon of what Is
said to be the actual increase. have been
told by an observing planter that all did not
go into chrysalis. i was ready to believe that
those were the males, and that impregnatlon
was made before they went into chrysalis
Another old practical experienced cotton
planter told me that lie had observed that the
first brood were more apt to settle on the
centre thnn the edges OF the field; and that
may account for their not being seen sooner
am quite willing to believe that the res
markablc disappearance OF the biuls 70, one
great cause of having the caterpillar, but an
not prepared to assent to the cause of their
absence-that the negroes kill them. That
hundreds, perhaps thousands, of mocking
birds are carried North know to be fact,
and, as was some months since communicated
In your useful NEWS by an observer, the de-
struction to insects and worms was immense
by one having nest OF young. That bird
believe to be more destructive than any
other. But how are we to keep them at home
when Yankee greenbacks are the inducement?
am quite willing that they should have
share, II, parrotlike, the birds could be taught,
and the teacher, to warble in their ears,
"robber, murderers, are ye all;" but such
truths would not be acceptable to the guilty
conscience. -
If any should agree with me in the theory,
1t may be said, well, what is the remcdy2
have one, but hesitate to offer it until the
wiseacre owhom communicated It lately,
and by whom Twas ridiculed,, fails to suggest
u better.
I'VE hope that our correspondent will &c
quaint the public, through our columns, with
the remedy of which he speaks. We cannot
have too much information from thinking men
upon this important subject.lED. NEws.l