The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1881-09-29
Killing the Cotton Worm.

We do not know what London purple
is now selling at In the leading cities of
the cotton belt, but suppose 1t must
range at figures somewhere between five
and ten cents per pound, which is bring.
ing the cost Of cotton worm poison pref
ty low, you see Undoubtedly it is q
good poison. The strongest objection
that can be urged against it is its color
1t is n reddish or. purplish powder, and
being very fine is not decidedly nice to
handle, as matter of course. But 1t
does not stain the cotton which happens
TO be open at the time of making the ap.
plicatiou-no complaints have ever been
made in that particular.
The arsenio employed by us in our OK.
perin1eats of last summer was the com.
mon white arsenic, costing by the bar
rel, landed in Texas, from three to four
cents per pound. We suppose it would
cost about the same at the present time
in either Mobile, New Orleans or Savan-
nah. 4 permanent solution was made
by adding to five gallons of water five
pounds of arsenic and one pound Of sal
soda, aud then boiling over fire in q
common iron pot, until all the arsenic
was dissolved. This makes solution
of arsenic that will keep for any length
O. time without the slightest precipita-
ton. We have now in our Office q bot
tie of the solution made on this plan last
summer-it is just rs perfect to-day as it
WAS on the day when we made 1t.
OF this solution one quart was put into
forty gallons of water, which was then
sprinkled over field of worm infected
cotton in the usual way. IL destroyed
the worms, which were in strong force
hn H.
the plants uninjnred to any extent worth
made, all with uniform success. Forty
go over Oh acre of cotton Of ordinary
growth.
Here we have :. remedy witt, which
We can save our crops from the cotton
worm ut cost of one cent and q quarter
per acre, rating the price of arsenic at
four cents per pound and that of sal soda
at five cents, which would be very high
for the latter. This, it seems to US, il
whiting the matter of cost down to q
point decidedly fine. OF course there
must be added in the final footing up OF
| all outlays the further cost of prepara.
ton and application, but one cent and o
quarter pays for the poison. And as to
the cost Of the application, it is no
greater than that Of any other liquid
remedy; indeed 1t should not be 80 great,
owing to the fact that the liquid 10 per.
feet solution, and, therefore, does not re.
qGire the agitation necessary to keep in
suspension the insoluble poisons, such as
London purple and Paris green. The
extra cost of preparing the saturated solu.
tion of arsenic might be put down as q
very small item but we think this is
more than offsett by the advantages o.
having perfect solution at the applica
tion, made in moment, without the
necessity of stirring and 'gauming" fol
an hour or 80 with some kind of colorinl
matter, "daubing" up ones clothes an6
everything else around after manner
that could scarcely be considered entirely
agreeable. Nothing of this kind in pre-
pairing the arsenic for the cotton field
you pour quart Of clear solution int
the bunghole of barrel containing fort,
gallons of water, and all is ready. And
then, as to the saturated solution, since i
will keep an indefinite length of time i
may be made at odd spells when there il
nothing else in particular to do.-Prot
d. II. .Steite, in Ne,o York Cotton.
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