The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1873-08-09


MONROE, La, AUGUST 0, 1873.
POISONING THE COTTON WORM.
Prof. Riley, of st. Louis, makes the
following suggestions to cotton plan
tiers. Some of our planters have al
ready used the poison recommended,
but we have no report Of the effect.
The experiment is worth trying:
Paris green, or Scheele's green, con-
tains varied proportion of arsenious
acid, and is n deadly poison; but the
manner in which it may be used to
counterfeit the cotton worm, renders it
perfectly harmless. II the green Is
pure, which cal. generally be ascer-
tanned by tho brightness and intensity
of the color, it may be mixed with
thirty parts of flour, plaster, Stacked
lime or ashes, and still be thoroughly
effectual. The least possible busting of
this mixture upon the plants will be
the means of destroying all the worms
upon them, without the least injury to
the plants themselves. The green
should never cost more than twenty
five cents per pound, at wholesale, and
suffice for several acres. 1t is best
busted ON to the plants early In the
morning while they are wet with dew.
1t may be busted in various manners,
and some persons, in fighting the pota-
to beetle, have found an old sIeazy
sack, such as those used for table, to do
good service, when attached to the
end of a stick. It is most safely APP
piled, however, by aid of a perforated
tin box attached to tho end OF a stick
three or four feet long. Such n box can
be made of any desirable size. The
least possible busting suftices, and by
taking the handle of the dust-bOx In
the left hand, and then tapping the
box with another stick held In tho
right hand, one can walk rapidly along
the rows and regulate the amount
sifted. The green cannot we'll be mixed
with the flour or plaster, except by the
aid of a mill, and it is for this reason
that those who mix in large quantities
have the advantage. 1t is most effect
ual when mixed with flour, though
plaster has tho merit of cheapness.
Believing firmly that in this mixture
we have a cheap and available anti
dOte to the cotton worm plague, am
anxious to give the suggestion as wide
circulation as possible, in order that
it may be thoroughly tried and re-
ported on the coming summon.
A pl'.ntcr writing from Dcmopolis,
Ala, g ives his observations as follows:
Several experienced planters In this
vicinity have found upon trial that
Paris green is best applied with water
AS the solvent; they mix 1 ID Paris
green with 40 gal. water, sprinkled 1t
on with an old broom, and found that
it killed all the worms In every In
stance, and has kept them off the
plant thus far. And they arc now of
tho opinion that Il less quantity Of Paris
green Id probabiy-wii1 poison the
40 gal. water sufficiently; but do not
think they have verified it by trial us
yet. Paris green is not dissolved by
water, but is suspended in it; hence
tho liquid must bc constantly stirred,
or shaken up, while you are applying
it; but this Inconvenience may proba-
bly, be obviatcd by using a little gum
arabic, deXtrine, slippery elm, or other
mucilagino,ls substance.
We add tho following from the Gal
weston News of tho Goth ult.:
From all sections of tho country where
tho new worm remedy has boon tested
the most gratifying results have boon
est terms of it. For tho benefit of those
who have not as yet used this remedy
we publish it below:
C6tton Worm Destroyer.
ID. Dry Paris Green.
1 ID. Arsenic.
s Tbs. Wheat Flour.
20 lbs. Slack Limo or Ashes.
Mix, and apply when the dew is on
the plant, through u box or can with II
sieve two (2) inches i'll diameter in the
bottom. The above quantity is sufli
cient for five (5) acres. Care should be
taken not to inhale the mixture. When
scattered over tho plant in the morning
the worms may be alive the next morn
ing, but will turn white and die within
twcnty-four hours, meanwhile losing
their appetites.
In hopes that the informrtion fur
nished in tho above extracts may mate
rally benefit our readers, we give it
the greatest prominence in our columns,
to the exclusion Of original matter.
fgyt