The patron of husbandry. (Columbus, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1879-07-05

dS OF HOAlOuS RIOWtlS, ana therefore VIII
possess knowledge which will insure bet
ter returns from the former and render
the determination of the latter more GER
tain. He will possess valuable Informal
ton in regard to insects that prey npon his
fields and fiocks and easily distinguish the
friendly sorts from the noxious tribes. He
will possess greater knowledge of ami
NAL physiology and pathology, and hence
secure comparative immunity from heavy
losses, that are now of daily occurrence.
In short he will walk in the light which
science will shed around his footsteps, and
wonder that the world was so slow to
grasp and profit by facts and truth in ma
ture, which though simple were unknown
or .unappreciated. Let us all-farmers,
agricultural schools and colleges, societies,
clubs and associations of ever description
pertaining a rural industries, and last,
though not least, the agricultural press
push on the car of progress and remit no
effect to place this-the greatest and real
ly the pCsNlest of all human pursuits-on
the 81 ehich it deserves to occupy
Westerh furak.
THE DREADED COTTON WORM.
The appearance of the cotton worm in
different portions of the States of Ala
bama, Mississippi and Texas has been re-
Gently reported from several counties of
these states. The reports at first were
not believed, and rarely, if ever, have
these terrible enemies of the cotton plant
visited the field at SO early a date as they
have been seen this season. Their pres
ence in many localities has however, lately
been confirmed as fact. A few years
ago the fact was emphatically fixed upon
the minds of most of the planters in the
lower part of the cotton region that "the
early worm catches the cotton"
The general appearance of the army
worm during the month of June was then
the cause for serious apprehension, as all
simple mechanical experiments to exter-
inmate them were utterly useless, and
failed to prevent the rapid multiplication
of the much dreaded ravagers. The first
arrival of the moths, which are progeni.
tors of the species, are, and always have
been, rarely noticed. In fact, it has been
held by many that the eggs which first
Matched in the warm weather have lain
dormant in the cotton stalks during the
winter, hence the practice of burning the
stalks. This has failed to prevent the per-
petuation Of the species.
The first brood or Matching of the worm
is followed in about three weeks by WEBB
bling the chrysalis stage and a return to
the moth, which lays its eggs and multi
plies species more than hundredfold I'M
less partially destroyed or exterminated.
This transformation goes on for three or
more generations unless checked by some
means, until the third generation comes
out as an army, which strips of their
leaves and completely destroys the cotton
plants over entire fields and whole sec
tons of the country, in the more southern
portions of the cotton belt particularly.
In years past, as we have said, the APP
pearance of these pests in the early part
of June was the cause of dread to the
planters in the locality they visited, and
was considered as certain indication of
the partial or total destruction of the crops.
Of later years, however, science has been
successfully applied to their determination
during the existence of the first generation
of the insects. Chemical poisons have
succeeded in. destroying them where me-
chanical appliance and efforts have even
failed to effect any apparent decrease in
their numbers. We blieve that Paris
green has been the most effectual and prac-
teal destructive agent that has yet been
the cotton fields from the army worm or
all other caterpillars which feed upon the
cotton plant This is purchased at small
cost, can be easily applied, and, with care
in handling, entails no danger upon those
who apply it.
Hundreds of instances may be cited
where it has saved cotton crops where
surrounding fields upon which it was not
used were at the same time almost COM
pletely destroyed. We hope that the first
generation of the dreaded pests, which
have visited the fields at so early date
this year that they threaten to effect seri-
Gus injury, will be destroyed in time by
the prompt application of some chemical
agent which has been successfully used
before and saved thousands of bales of cot.
TOM O. Democrat
C0NCENTP ATED FOODC