The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1880-02-17
PROF. RILEY'S PAMPHLET.

We are In receipt, through the courtesy OF
the Department Of the Interior, Of the latest
report on the subject Of the cotton worm by
Prof. Charles v. Riley. Attention had been
called some weeks since to previous reports
from Prof. Riley. containing the results Of
earlier Investigations. The document before
us Is summary Of all the information thus
far collated by the chronological com mission,
Of which Prof. Riley Is the head. 1t contains
as much az could be ascertatned touching the
natural history Of the worm, an account Of
| ts enemies and description OF the different
methods. remedial aud preventive. by which
the worm may best be fought. The pamphlet
Ia full of interesting facts. and Ia noticeable
| for the number Of popular fallacies which 1t
explodes. Prof. Riley makes 1t very clear that
| a vast deal Of error has prevailed relative to
the cotton worm, and that little or no effort
has been directed to the most vulnerable point
In the worms career. He shows that the
worms In reality make their appearance much
earlier than is commonly supposed, and that,
instead Of three generations, there are In fact
ex. Prof. Riley demonstrates the PROPOSE
ton that they hatch rs early as April, and
says that he doubts not that further investi.
CATION will show still earlier activity.
1t Is at this time, while the worm is few Id
numbers and deficient In energy, that Prof.
Riley thinks the attack should be made; al
though there seems no prospect that such at
tack can have very beneficial effect unless
1t Ia made general and Is the fruit of concert
ed and organized action. The history or the
worm shows that 1t Is migratory while In the
moth stage Or development, and that its ex-
termination In one locality will not neces-
sarily prevent or even delay devastation by
worms generated in another. Indeed, accord
Ing to Prof. Rileys showing, II there should
come year especially favorable to the prop
agation Of the worm, and II all the cotton
States save one should succeed In exter-
mlnatlng the first worms that appeared, that
one State would produce moths enough to
stock the entire South and to consume as
much or the crop as IL none had been de-
stroyed. The migratory power Of the moth is
practically unlimited, rs IL Its fecundity
and It seems to be the case that. In years
when the worm largely prevails, untold mil
lions perish for want OF subsistence.
AS far as we can gather the moral 81 Prof
Rlley's Investigations and conclusions, the
OllY way W auttb luS WOk la 10 HLely Wy GOu-
certed zion all over the country In destroy
ing the worm when 1t makes It's first appear
ance In the spring; secondly, by thorough
and frequent cultivation OF the crop, by pro-
noting the multiplication Of gregarious birds
such as the blackblrd. by fastening the ma
turity Of the cotton so as to have 1t too far
for the worms to do much injury
when they finally appear in destroying Ie-
gions. There are numerous hints and items
Of information, all of most interesting and
scientific nature, given In Prot.
Rlley's report; but we fear that we shall have
to wait yet o while longer ere we get the
secret OF the specific means, II there be any,
by which the worm can be destroyed. The
Professor has shown us that the WORM is /
prevalent; that he is Indigenous; that he
hibernates In the more southern districts
that he Is practically unbounded In his capacl-
~ for reproduction and epoliation. But he
has not shown us any feasible method, within
The reach Of ALL for checking his ravages-
except In the direction we have above indi-
NnI