Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1869-02-13

I
face OF the earth was very dry and hot.
took many Of them In my hand and
fonnd them entirely dead.
lt may thus happen, from one cause
or another, that when they eene early
and strip the plant Of its foliage and de-
stroy the supply OF food 80 we'll as shell
ter, these worms die cut Ia great num-
bers, both from want of food and on ae-
/ count Of the seorehing rays Of the sun.
In le46 the same thing occurred. The
worms then filled up the wheel Tuts in
the rosds and also the ditch corners, and
myrisds died In the hot sRnd. Be this
ss 1t NAV, the fact is, there was not one
sean 10 1877, and We escaped them for
many years sfterward.
".
LATE CROPS NURTURE THE WORM.
In the year 1860 the worms made their
! appearance In my crop late In Septem-
ber, and did me some injury. There was
not one to be beard Of 10 any other di-
reetion around me. My crop differed
from those around me In one material
particular. Il was utterly destroyed by
very severe hail storm on the 27th day
OF May. 1t had to be planted all over,
and there was not enc original plaRt 10
ten Thousand that survived. Ii was
feTed besides this so much sitter coming
Up from the &" leaf bug" that 1t was truly
probiematical, up 90 the Ssh OF July,
whether it could make anything at all.
fne season, however, was good, and
when the plsut escaped it ieaped into
growth and fruiied beyond all expeets-
ton, producing crop which think my
factOris books vii show was very nearly
a bag to the hand. I. was, however, Tar
behind other crops IN maturity, and the
crop of eaterpillaTs, so to speak, though
growing slowly, from the season being
uDprOpitiOus to them, had made at late
period sufficient headWay to do me in
jury. My crop alone WRs found in the
condition to sustain or grow them with
fa0ility. All others we're far too mature.
Now, had the season been such 50 to de-
velop these woTms early iu the growth
of the plant, IL could scarcely have
made ten pounds to the whole crop, or,
indeed, pod o. cotton. An important
reflection arises here, impFessing us with
the fact that late crops, though not really
producing the worm, yet IN reality msy
nurture hordes OF the worms thst would
have otherwise persisted for want OF food.
V.
EXCITING CAUSES MAY PRODUCE AND
DEVELOP THEM.
II is true that great exciting causes
might produce and develop them with
the coincidence OF succulent crop to
nourish thsm, but, being at frat few 10
numbers, they would come on slOwly, |
and, perchsnce, with hot and dry sum-
mer the first brood would not appear in !
the crops at all, and even with vet Au- I
gust It could scarcely appear before Oe- /
tobsr-too late TO do serious Injury.
Bear it in mind that these insects are /
h8;ched and grown. The hstching de- 1
pends on the season the growing on the 4
crCp as well as the season. If the plant 1
Is very mature whsn the worms are frat /
hstchea in any apprecieble numbers, the /
brood of caterpiilars fails for want OF (
proper nourishmsnt. II, on the contrary,
the crop is in as favorable condition TO .
feed the tender young woFma Ia their
different broOds, the Matching, whatever
1t may be, Ia carried through the worm
state without appreciable diminuLiOn to-
ward another brood, while under other
circumstances there would have been =
larger dimiaution. Such q diminution
st the first produces a very sppreciable
effect when the producing mctEs as the
most are few lbut lew having escaped
the vicissitudes of ths year When
however, even though they should lose
Of each brood, enough are
still accumulated to destroy ths crops.
VI,
HOW To SECURE RESPITE FROM THE
WORM.
With the two past years we have
found 1t impossible to make our cTops
grow of. We have had no spring, and
Just such seasons as cur past experience
would have warranted us in pronouncing
as best adapted to the pro-
ductiOn Of the worm, The statement
about the eggs being found In the pith of
the stalk is ridiculous and impossible, Tor
the little moth that lays the egg il toe
feeble, and has nothing whereWith 10
pierce the wood of the stalk.
Ga the whole, it seems to me that,
with varied seasons, timely planting,
genial springs and well prepared fields,
We might reasonably expect respite from
he cotton worm-Or, speaking more
strictly, have no ground for supposing
otherwise,