New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-03-20
COTTOy-WORM AND CHRISTOPHER.

COTTON-WORA AND bhASoiioi I'm
LETTER FROM PROF. A. n. GRoTE-A COMMISSION OF
METEOROLOGICAL ExPERIs-wHAr CAN be DONE
TO HELP WESTERN FARMERS.
To the Editor Of The Tribune.
SIR: The appropriation passed by Congress
to investigate the injuries done by the grasshopper IN te
West contempates the expenditure OF $4,000 and the
appointment Of three commissioners or entomoogcai
experts Originally the number OF experts was nAe d.
FIVE aud the at $4,000; in conference however
the amount and the number Of commissioners were po
reduced In questions like the present the first consider
alton always is as whether the outlay OF pubic money
is justidabe. Assuming that this is answered In tie
affirmative in tine present instance. let me briefly point
out what the commission do. The facts hitherto
brought light with relation TO the grssDopper are NOT
on tie whole dssimar from those stated by uyseit III
paper read before the Hartford meeting OF the Assocl
ton for Advancement OF Science IN 1871 wltn
to the cotton-wOrm showed then from personal oDser
vatons stretching over series Of years that the cotton
worm was migratory in its habits and that 1t spread
from the South to the North. / also sho"eu'
and in this 1 contradict Mr.. Riley ana DE-
Packard. that it feeds exclusively upon COTTON
The gradual spreading from the South To the NORTH can
be watched any year. was able IN my district to fore
tell the advent Of the the plant by the appear
ance OF the moths in numbers to the lights in windows
s Is he habit OF the class Of insect to which the cotton
worm (Aletia orgiIaeea) belongs Mr.. Riley propounds
the question as to the condition to which this insect III
beraes as an important question to be answered IN me
matter OF eradcang the pest This has been answered
by myself Iu the belt the last brood OF moths
Matched ont in November are partially dtstr9yeu Ny t
in be found IN sheltered cOIncis Oh
gu-Ouses foddeF-stacks, and houses. These hDernat
ing moths OF the cotton worm cannot produce p ogeny
tho next Spring for they have then no COTTON pan,
on which to deposit their To understand tue worm
one must understand the plant upon Whlch IL lccuS'
Cotton ia planted after all ALTERNATING insects Oh thls
class have persisted in the Spring YOUNG cotton never
shows the worm The cotton planted III harGn or Aplii
is of slow growth and is May before the plants reach
any Now, the never appears Ill tne COTTON
ID is obvious that action SHOULD DC
taken against first brood when strikes tle states
ON the Gulf There extraordinary efforts should DC made
To check advance by artificial agents OF desfucton
As the worm advances by successive DrOOds III increases
in numbers, and by the time 1t has reached Columbus,
Ga il Is far late Tor the single planter 10 avert Inc
calamity evident then thar the states OF flOrlua
Alabama, Louisiana, and Texas should interest teh-
selves especially IN the matter . ~ c,,-
The locust or graSShOppcr OF the Vests rdt0Ptenus
sDiets differs usually from the Eastern Species cdtop
Gaus Icnu-ra6rnt, by the shape OF the tnordX, Dut
more constantly in greater length OF wing Inat they
are derry cd from the same stock Is not lInpODaDe Inc
objective point the proposed inquiry must be tlat or
their Original swalmng. That they come from the
surgd be tested by the commissioners III VII
be in order ascertain the localities where the grass
and these fixed, to recommend TIE
check tie first advance The States ofIh
means tlcm Ii IL too | lc when the StiSSholS
pcrs nave reached their borders do not call upon the
farmers any regions TO thank the Wise IfOf-
idcuCe" WHO prevented the Ocusts from I;icHihS
uaItcular farms while miles away their neighbOfs'
fields are desOie but call on all through legislative
action TO lend helping hand along tne iine Wherc Tile
cssnopper .s strikes ana thus save DJtn telf neign
COrS AMI themselves. "A A. '""iE'
General secretary American ASsOclitloH auanceHohl
III Science.
Washington, D. c., March 16, 1877