The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1880-06-16

egg-state varies with the season of the veal
much as il does with the egg Of the cotton
moth. The young larvae feed for longer OF
shorter space of time upon the parts of the
plant on which they are born, but migrate
sooner or later IT, flower bud or boil. AS the
boil worms increase in size wonderful diver
slty Of color and marking becomes apparent.
Ihey Will vary from brilliant green to a
deep pink or q dark brown. The green
worms are more common than those of any
other color, but those Of varying shades of
pink or brown are so abundant as TO make it
lmposslble to fix upon any type. AS regards
their marking, the most constant feature ap-
pears to be the whitish stripe on each side;
when these worms are brown these stripes as
sumo yellowish hue. The chrysis Of the
boil worm usually gives forth the perfect
moth in early May in the more southern por-
tions Of the cotton belt The eggs Of these
first moths las, indeed, those Of tho second
brood, appearing from the first to the.middle
Of June--are for the most part laid on the
leaves Of corn. These broods do more or
less injury TO the corn, but it is the next
the third brood proper, which nc
conipshes most damageto this cereal. These
are often called "corn worms, ""ear worms,
and "tassel worms" About the LIST of July
the eggs are laid, probably near the ends Of
the husks Of corn. Very few eggs are laid
upon the cotton growing in the same field
The arvp feed upon the silk and tender
grains near the ends of the ears, destroying
many ears and rendering others unfit for use;
finally, boring through the husks, they fall TO
the 6 ound to pupate as before. BY the Isl
Of August, when the time for q fourth brood
has arrived, the ears Of corn begin to harden
while cotton bols arc very plentiful, hence
the moths of the third brood lay their eggs
upon the cotton instead of the corn, as thei
parents have done. Thisf urth brood is b,
far the most destructive one. The fifth brood
begins early in September and is also con
fined to cotton. 1t seems to be very
generally settled among planters-so
far MS has been ascertained the
boil worm is influenced by the weather in II
similar manner to the cotton worm; they
flourish best in the wet seasons, and in dry,
sunshiny weather do least damage. Among
natural remedies suggested for the boil @orm
, well as for the cotton worm, in the report
quoted from, are insGctivorous birds and pre-
daceous insects. The klngbird or bee-mar.
tin will chase and capture the moth worm,
and young mockng- birds are fed by their
parents with the boll-worm moth Ants,
wasps, asiluS flies, the devils coach-horses,
the ladybird, larvae and the golden-eyed lace
wing lily Larvae are mentioned MS effective
among insect enemies. The ground beetle
IS also believed to play an important part in
destroying the boil worms, which descend into
the ground to pupate. Topping the cotton
At certain seasons of the year. which has been
urged MS means Of destroying the eggs of
both cotton-worm and boll-worm moths, has
not, according to the experiments reported,
proven etlicacious. Observation and the
study of the habits OF the boil worm APP
pear also to have removed the old belief
that poisonous applications are of no
avail IN the destruction OF this pest. lnas-
much as by far the greater number of eggs
are laid upon the leaves Of the plant and the
newly hatched larvae, before migrating to
lower-buds or bollS, almost invariably feed
lpon the leaves where they were born, it is
argued that we'll distributed poisonous
mixture will in all probability destroy great
numbers OF the young worms. Many of the
boil worms as they move from
'oll to boil are also killed from eating poi
oned leaves. The time recommended for
poisoning the boil worm in regions where
here is reason TO suspect extensive migration
rom corn to cotton, is n week after the full
crown worms are found in the hardening ears
# corn, or when the moths are observed to
" abundantly after the ear has begun to
larden The poisoning for tho third brood
,roper of the cotton worm and the boil
worm may be done simuitane usly, rs the
,oisons and methods of applying are identi-
al for the two pests"
la all of which there is nothing new. But
We give space to the report for the purpose
t lmpressing upon our friends
What is said about birds. ants.
tc,, as the best agencies through which
0 destroy the boil worm. and which has
'een insisted upon in this column before.