The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1880-04-28
THE COTTON WORM.
COMPLIED BY PROF p. ". JONES, MISSES
-IPFI UNIVERSITY.

subject that are worthy Of consideration. ana
that are held by those with whom ! have
come in contact, or with whom ! have cor
responded. These are: go
list. That 1t hibernate5 in the chrysalls
state
~. That it hibernate as a moth
3D. That il does not hibernate ID amy part
ofour cotgon-gryviug States, but comes into
them on the wing from warmer climate
where the cOtt0u-p plant j. perennial.
some few persons think that it winters IN
the egg stst- in cotton seed or Oh tie dead
stalk Of the plant; but such Views may be
disposed Of by the statement that they are
unsupported by even the appearance of fact.
At first blush it would seem easy enough
to di-pel whichever Of these theories l- eTro-
nsou- and settle the question under c'usit-
Grafton by % few simple facts OF observation
The trouble j.. however, to get at the facts.
About one-fourth Of the intelligent peo-
pIe Of the South hold the opinion that this
Aletia hiberuJte- IN the Chrysai- -tste,
some believing that ltdre- So above ground
others tina, ID retreats beneath the surface
of the ground. IL has generally been stated
bv the writers on this insect that the ehry
ali- could not endure the slightest frost.
have been able 70 prove chat it will suffer
with iupuultv q temperature OF from I've ID
ten degrees below the freezing point, uut
that d. cannot withstand q lower temp.r--
ture: and All those chrE-aIIdas which aa
not give out the moth before severe cold
weather sets iu perish beyond any doubt
How easily men are MI-ieI sven on this
point, however, may b. gathered from lhe
tact that Dr. j.. ii. Anderson, OF klrawupa.
Mis-. Il most intelligent observer And eZ-
perienccd cotJou-pLauter, kept what he ue-
iicved 10 be living specimens until after the
severe cold of December lass. \ careful
examination proved that the lilcljae motions
of such chry-aIides were due TO the hFlug
pupa which they contained 81 one ol the
parasite. lftmpht c,7g|@ttrE5 tHe larger
proportion 81 ,ury-alfc-- That are not empty
after "a severe frost has uocureoare infested
with some kind of parasi-e, though many oil
them have Per-hed from tHe effects OF the
frost aud are either rotten or mouiay.
Any number OF Intelligent planters insist
that they ploW up tine chry saiIde- IN spring,
and the belief that the last brood work.
beneath the ground, out OF reach Of frost, IS
very firmly held by some Of the most eNpe-
riuCcd cotton growers; but in every I'M
stance that has come 10 my knowledge the
chry-aides tDg- pIowed up have proved to
belong to other species, most of them of the
same family. and many ~ them having Il
sufficiently close resemblance - those OF
AletiI to cOuiouud amy but the most skilled
aIid experienced entymO!ogIst.
There are many speCIe7 ~ night lying
moths which 60 through their tTansloruI-
tions beneath the ground, and there hibernate
in the ChTvsaIIS state. Tie leaves OF the cot
ton-plaut are paIatable To a very large mum
her If such. while the Eoll-worm (iialotlis
iyyHiIe,gA and the "t5ra,S-wOrm' lLIphJyg-
ma JlugipeTd4), which thus transform, are
sometimes very abundant in IL cotton field
/ L j. not at ali surprising, therefore, that
the chrysalides should be Flowed or dug up
IN land planted 70 cotton. All of them,
upon careful scrutiny, viii be found to GI-
fer from the ChTy.JlI~ of Alet.a. WINCH may
be distinguished by its slender FORM and
particularly by the tip of the body with its
armature. IN short the nature of the Ale
tia chrysalis etiecually prevents 1t from
working beneath the ground, except where
dropping out Of its cocoon, IL happens To tdii
into a crack or creyiae, and thus WsGgte
beneath the surface. 1t II also contrary to
all analogy that a chTysaiis normally found
above ground in i cocoon should worh be
meath the soil for ali insects that pupate
under the ground descend while IN the lar
va state
s'ExperimentS which I have repeatedly
made prove chat the Aletla chrysal.1 when
placed under ground, either rots and per-
iShes or the moth, in a sufficiently advanced
state when the chIysalIs Is buried, Will
vainly endeavor to escape and push through
its unnatural surroundings
''Regardiug the ability of the moth TO
survive the winter, nearly oue-half OF the
more intelligent correspondents state that
thev have known the moth to be found ily~
inr during the warm days OF winter, and
that it consequently hibarnates in that
state. M. John i. Humphreys, OF glor-
cantown, y. c.. who was Tor a while en-
ployed by the State OF Georgia IN entomo-
logical work, says that he has absolute
proof Of the Information OF the moth.
ence from the most competent and reliable
planters might be adductd in support OF the
fact that the moth Is to been seen either
hidden in sheltered situations or flying
during the milder weather of winter, and in
spring in al Of the southern portion Of the
belt The situation in which Il Is most often
reported as sheiterins are under the shingles
of gin-houses, under rail, and under the
loose bark and in the holows Of trees and
PROSTATE logs. Ia old pine stumps the sap
wood separates from the heart-wood and
forms excellent retreats for this purpose
The general hue OF the large scales ct pine
bark Is sufficiently close - that of the moth
- make the resemblance protective. A
dense forest of long-Ieaved pines also modI-
fies ani equalIZes the winter temperature
These facts would lead one TO. suppose that
pine forests otter unusually favorable condl-
lions for Information, and Mr.. Humphreys
has. ia fact. found the moth alternating
under pine scales. while some of my most
reliable respondents report having seen
the moths sporting in great numbers IN the
edges of pine forests during the month OF
March.
Nevertheless, the persistent search by
Mr.. Schwarz last winter under my dlrec-
ton. while vet connected with the Depart
ment of Agriculture, failed TO reveal the
moth under pine bark: whereby ] was led
to the conclusion that it seeks winter sisal-
ter some distance from the ground 1t has
been reported by some correspondents IN
greatest numbers in swamps OF sweet gum,
oak magnolia. poplar, &c. such a are found
in Southern Alabama. These swamps are
warm. moist, and miasmatic, and the moths
are said to have been seen literally packed
together IN torpid state in the hollows and
burrows made ia rotting logs by boring lar
Yae'
The question as to the liberation of the
moth in ali its particulars is of great value
and can be settled finally and satisfactorily
only by intelligent and competent observa-
ton.
The weight of testimony given by inteili-
gent writers is to the effect that the moth
does survive the winter until about the end
Of March in the Southern part of the cotton
belt; that after March these alternating
moths are no longer to be seen, and no one
seems to know what becomes of them from
this time to the appearance of the first
Nvorms.
zMr. Schwartz travelled throughout the
Southern portion Of the belt. and visited he
Bahamas, with the special object of learning
the winter quarters of the moth.
9--@=
Asparagus.
If every farmers family knew what