The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1880-03-31


In Bulletin, No 3, Professor g. V. Riley,
Chief of the L. :. chronological Commits
sion, has made a very interesting and in
structiye report Of the result Of his labor-
and Investigations on the Cotton Worm
The report is a pamphlet, PIP. IA, well in
dexed
The subject treated Of is Of iHes.imable
importance 70 the planters Of Mississippi
and all the other cotton States. / have
thought that some extracts from this report,
with such reflections a seemed appropriate
published in those newspapers which are
read by the planters, might help TO increase
the resources Of the State, and the prosper
ity Of individual citizens, by pointing out
the methods of averting, or diminishing the
ravages committed by this enemy Of our
great staple.
The author Of this report, while known to
a few prominent citizens of Mississippi, j.
a stranger to the mass of the people A
State Entomologist for Missouri, he did a
work, and scattered information which
proved a blessing TO that State. His re-
ports are esteemed as among the best ever
published ia this country, and have given
him reputation across the Atlantic. Since
then, he has served with great ability a
Entomologi5t Of the Department Of Agri
culture His aim seem TO be to make his
scientific information and skill useful to the
industries Of the country. The Entomolo
gists' Monthly Magazine, of London, term.
him, "The foremost economic EntOmologist
of the day
Here is the statement Of the Bulletin
concerning the
DEsrRUCrIyENEs7 OF THE WORM-LossE,
OCCAsIONED b. IT.
'An impartial calculation Of the money
loss to the cuitivator caused by Injury tC
the great staple Of the country from then
insect enemies, is sure to startia as by ~
magnitue when the loss j. aggregated
Such Il calculation of the losses which the
cotton worm mot to speak Of other insects
infIicts on the people of the South, based
upon the somewhat imperfect statistical
data at command, leads to the following m
teresting conclusions, winch IJF the most
part receive explanation i'm the facts em-
bodied in the bulletin. The calculation
embraces the fifteen years since the close OF
the civil war, and was made py Nh {. *.
Dodge, and verified by MIR. -. y. bJdEe, ti.t
statician ANY extraueJus causes WncA
tend to retard the growth Of thc plant, also
tend to swell the percentage Of INJURY by
the worm when it abOuuds. ~ mere an
early stand is secured. with thorough Guilt
walton and exemption from other causes OF
injury. there the percentage OF loss i least,
even in bad cotton worm years. The per-
centage Of loss IS, also, dependent on ioca-
ton. When the injury is done early IN the
season. the loss in localities OF heaviest pro-
duction. or where the fields are numerous
and contiguous. is nearly double what 1T Is
where the fields are more isolated. In
years Of severe injury, from }O to - per
cent OF the crop may be ruined upon some
plantations, while on others the loss VIII be
trifiug The highest average OF loss is sus-
tanned in the southern portion OF the belt
n in Florida and Southern Texas. 1t in
creases also in westerly direction, com
mencing with Georgia at is per cent, or 10
bales out of every 100 of an average crop
for fifteen years, and ending with Texas at
% per cent. In the northern portion OF the
belt the averages are low, ranging from to
s per cent. for the same period; while III
many parts of it, and notably in North
Carolina, the worm appears 50 late as to
generally do more good than harm by re-
moving the luxuriaut top foliage, au1 mus
admitting the sun to the lower Dolls ana
Fastening their maturity
The following table shows the amount
of loss i'm bales and dollars for each state IN
a year of severe yisItauoR~