The People's vindicator. [volume] (Natchitoches, La.) 1874-1883, 1879-08-02
Farm TOPICS.
COTTON WORMS ALABAMA.

~ The Selra Times. nf HE l5'h. II
Il = letter -: the IA trm Bow,
!, Station, Announcing the inst "cr',
y Of cotton wUrDs, fully develops
T. many 1T them already webl,ed u
! The writer, a Mr.. 0. F. Harrell, ",
known IN Selma, aud who appears
have made the shady Of the colt,
"orm a specially. recalls the fat
Il that in 1873, when the drstru,
5 ton ct the cotton crop in that secti,
/. was almost complete, the first crop
q worms was seen on the 18th July
the second crop on the 29th July
the third crop, or "arn,y" worm q
b the 18th August and during the gu,
ceeding four nights the cotton plant
were entirely stripped Of everytI'in
that the worm could find to tee
! "r"n. The worms have appeare,
every year since, including 1871, fro,
eight tn thirty days later than i
1871. and the amount Of damage don
by them each year was in proportion
tn the date Of their appearance.
Mr.. llarrel goes on to say
The regularity and, l might add
the invariahlc production Of tn,
SECOND and third ''crop or army" ca
tablihes one fact beyond all cont,o
versy, | think, viz: The only thin.
that has saved the cotton crop from
destruction any year since ISL:
(which is rs far back as the observa.
tons "f the writer extend) has been
that the crop Of worms did not make
their appearance sufficiently early Ia
permit the propagation and deveI"p,
Ment ut the successive crops before
the condition "f the atmosphere ar.
rested their progress.
The period If time required for the
production Of the army" find 10 he
about five aud a half or six weeks
from the appearance Of tho frat
.c'"p," the weather being favorable
for their development.
10 speaking Of "cr"ps" Of worms I
DO not wish to be understood as 70
ts'ring to the appearance of Que, or
perhaps a few worms. tn he some
times found on a ci,cumecribed spot
about the plantation hat we're their
appearance is 40 general and in ..such
numbers rs to indicate that they can
he found, upon a close search, over
the greater part Of tho plantation in>
tested with them. O'.t--. 49,.
1t Is q we'll established fact that
when the "army' once makes its On.
pearance, every section of country
contiguous to that in which they are
found that has ever been liable to
their depredations, will be visited
within three or four days and nights,
even IL plantation and communities
where the preAsnOe Of the second and
thirt, crops" Was never detected, Yet
'"tte'ea equally as much BY the raw. !
ages Of the ''army" as the Immediate |
plantations upon which the success.
I'VE crops Of worms were produced. !
As far MS can be seen to day, every
hing points to the destruction Of all
hat part "f the c"tton plant that tho
worm will feed uppon about the 25th
# August, perhaps q few days earlier
ut not much later. ~.
At this season Of the year about six
'eeks is required from the time a
loom falls from the stock to the full
Maturity Of tho boil consequently,
correct in my conclusions, it would
vt Oe difficult to estimate our prob.
bic crop, even at this early date.
THE LEsPlDEzAs.. va.
The Lespidezas is a species Of clio.
sr that is creeping into some parts
I Mississippi and other Southern
tates by the sides of the roads and |
noes, in the edge Of timber, in old
e'ds, and other places. 1t grows on +,
a!ks more like a garden herb than I
clover stalk, but its miniature clio.
er leaves upon close observation are
ell marked - members of the clio.
er family. rarsru NH. $50 \
This plant is neither priced as a y
ass or hay crop, bot cattle and '
erp eat it very we'll when it is small
half grown, II however has some
'aIities which We deem valuable.
ID We have heen watching it and
curing into ito character f"r years.
. believe it 10 an excellent regepe>
tor Of old poor s"iIs. It shades n
. ground ~ cIoseIy that in many "
aces not r.y Of aunsline can :,
netrate or pass through It. A heavy =;
owth Of Bermuda cannot shade il =.
thoroughly. -s ~ q
It grows in the bottoms of old bitches :.
q holds all OF the sentiment, 20 that il y. J..
time fills up these bitches and makes j
ground rich. 1t is fine for xtoppinp in
eyular washes on hillsides. 1t goes to IL
ID just before frost. and tho seed can r.
" DC gathered with difficulty. A good G,
y is to NOW of aud clear of a patch az
ere the growth is dense after the ="
q fall out, take b If an inch of the " =.
face earth and seed, throw them in "a "a
t and scatter them from the cart "
ere they arc wanted to grow. Thrown ~
ong weeds " grass without blowing. b
rowing OF covering, they will come ST
and take root aud spread tho next Il,
y. They will choke out sedge.erass. an
weed and wild chammomile and ;"
er weeds and grasses, and take full -
session Of the toil aud enrich it in a NY
years. It should bS called "kino VI
'er." for it rulea the other grasses. Il CO
asier killed in the field with q p)ow ed
u any Of the weeds. It seems to fol. ve
up the war and emancipation to en-
Q possession Of the old plantations he
nncu!tivated farms and gotched and IN
'ed side bills, to save them them ~ Il"
q gradual ruin. p III
he Mississippi Republican thus illus h %s
es what it meant BY shrinkare Of 10 ~
les: 1.-THE unindebted farmer ia O'e
9 as rich now, with a farm valued at ttIe
~ "a ho was ten years ago, when his pr
was valued at $500 ; but the bebtor POI