The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1866-1891, 1874-09-10
THE COTTON WORM.
A Scientific View Of the Plague of
the Southern Planter.
New York Tribune Report.

cotton worm scientifically. He described
the cotton worm moth under the name of
Alctia Argillacea, and figured it in two
positions. This name is fixed by priority
of description. The different stages Of
the Aetia as found throughout the cotton
belt of the Southern States have been
faithfully portrayed by Prof. Townsend
Glover, of the Agricultural Department
at Washington the work is as yet unpub-
lished, and would be of great value, as it
also describes the habits and the insect
enemies of the cotton worm. The publ
cation of this work should be taken in
hand by the State Legislatures in the cot
ton belt.
/ Prof. C. V. Riley, of Missouri, has no.
ticed the Aletia and furnished draw
ing, in the second report on the insects of
! Missouri, of the moth, representing its
head downwards as in state of rest
! In the sixth report he again discusses
the insect, and the moth is represented in
u normal position. lie claims that the
cotton worm hibcrnates as a moth The
present paper will undertake to show that
such view is erroneous, and will give
some particulars respecting the habits Of
the insect. Prof. Grote has observed the
cotton worm during FIVE seasons in Cen
trail Alabama and on many different p lam
tations 1t belongs to the Noctu@, a IA
mily of nocturnal moths. The genus is
one of number of intertroplcal or South
ern forms related to a more Northern genus
Phsia, and has on our own soil the genus
4nona!is for its more immediate ally. The
worm is ''half loopcr." The chrysalis is
held within an exceedingly loose web on
the plant and is visible through the mesh.
Tho egg, the worm, the chrysais and the
moth have been very fully described else.
where. 1t is designed here to trace the
consecutive history of the insect.
Prof. Grote has observed the worm in
Marengo and Greene counties, on the
Tombigbee and Black Warrior rivers
There cotton is sown in March and April,
begins to bloom in June and July, and
perishes in November. The earliest pc
riod at which Prof Grote noticed the
young worm was in the last week in June
its first appearance varying in the same
locality to the middle of July. The null
tiplication of the first brood causes the
greatest loss to the planter. The appear
ance of the worm is always hcradcd by
the advent of the perfect moth, the latter
coming to light IN houses at least week
before the worm appears in the fields
After making this observation-that the
worm is the progeny Of moths appearing
for the first time in June and July
Prof. Grotc noted the extreme irregulari-
ty Of the first brood, which skips some and
visits other plantations over many miles
of country. But this irregularity is only
made up by later broods and subsequent
increase. The next feature observed was
that the worm is always to the south
ward of any given locality it comes as an
army from the south, the broods arriving
consecutively as long as the season lasts.
The latest broods, when the worms were
numerous, ate everything that was soft
about the cotton plaat-thc flowers, the
persistent calyx, the very young boil, the
terminal shoots, then changed into myri-
ad chrysalides clinging to the leailess
stems in the face Of frost, the latter chrys.
alides and retarded worms perishing. This
Southern army was killed by the advanc-
ing winter and the decease of their food
plant. Prof. Grotc asks if the few spcci-
mems of the moth visible in sunny days in
the winter were cases of Information or
merely accidental survival.
Hubncr describes the moth as originally
from Bahia Brazil Its destruction of
perennial cotton in the West Indies,
Mexico and Brazil is established. From
a scientific point the insect is of South
ern type Of its family Prof. Grote be-
lieves that the insect dies out with its
food at the end of each year in the South
ern States, and that its next appearance
is due in every instance to fresh imnii'
grafton from more southern regions For
many years after cotton was cultivated at
the South, the insect diG not not make its
appcarancc. Its earliest date in Central
Alabama was not much preceding the war.
1t docs not appear every year, nor does 1t
at the same time Of the year in any locall-
y. The moth is capable Of extended
flights Prof Packard has seen it in the
Eastern States Prof Grote and DR.. +. H.
Harvey in Buffalo Prof. Riley says it
has been taken in Chicago. 1t probably
follows the coast line and the water cour-
scs emptying into the Gulf of Mexico