The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1882-08-17

Some Timely Hints on the Cotton Worm.
As the cotton. worm has lately ap-
peared in various localities, the following
extract from Prof RHey's letter relative TO
its probable ravages 10 overaoWed districts,
published in May last, will be read with in
terest by planters generally:
The idea of first Importance IS that the
poison be applied to the under surfaces Of She
foliage, where the yonnI worms start and
grow until large enough TO eat through the
leaf and become destructive, where the poison
will remain on and not be washed OF by dew
or each shower Of rain. To devise the me
chanical means Of accomplishing this on
large, scale or In n ra17fd manner was th g
more bathing under the conditions that com
plexity and much expense must he avoided.
simple an d Isi. ctfcfI and il Is to b 3 ressreeted
that they probably can nObbe put on the mar
zet before next Seasons hence ft would not be
worth while. did space permit It IN = letter
of the improved machinery referred TO.
The only desirable poisons that will be OBJ
tafnabte in great quantities by the planters
are the various arsenical preparations, ana
foremost among these Paris green and Lon
of sprinlxling poison from water pots
or in broadcast sprays from barrel
pumps, about forty gallons OF water con
tanning one pound of Paris green or two fliths
of pound of London purple, kept well mixed
by stirring or shaking, may be applied to the
acre. When a bellows atomizers1s used TO
diffuse it more. finely and more thoroughly,
which is much preferable, less than half taat
quantity of poison and water TO the acre viii
give equally good results. In sitting dry
poison by such sifteTs as are usually en-
DloVed one pound of the Paris green to 35
pounds of such mixture of Hour aud ashes, or
one pound of London plrpie to - POUNDS OF
such mixture, are proper proportlons 20 use:
The -four Is adhesive, holding the poison fast
to the leaves, ana coatfngthe poisons so that
they come less in contact with the surfaces OF
the plant. and hence it helps to p event their
caustic action or burning OF the leaves The
ashes have a still greater aneloratiye effect
in preventing the eaustc acton, anu on tils9 ,il
ashes to two-thfrds -four TO form the mixture.
With this preparation the poison can not e oe
too thoroughly mixed Better aeFlces ior
mingl' ny these homogeneOusly with each 9th
er are still TO be sought. The best now easily
prepared by the planter consists OF barrel
with number of rods put through it end
wise, and a great number of large spikes
driven through its sides to project tar into
the cavity. The substances to be mixed are
put into the barrel through large hole,
which is then closed, while the barrel is hung
upon an axis and rotated for two or three
hours. 1t should be added that in ca ase the
pOisOns recommended are in any instance not
obtainable the pure arsenic or arseniGte O. soda
may be resOrted to, since these have been
used to advantage, though not always with
the best satisfaction. Although these sub
stances are cheap, their caustic effect on the
plant is greater. The mixture now most
used consists of 20 grains of arseniate OF soda
and 200 grains of dextrine dissolved in one
gallon of cold water. Four ounces OF this
inlTt9Ie TO 40 gallons 9T & Watep , can 1 Dc
senic water, which every druggist knows how
to make, will answer WeiI. TO make 1t from
the WnlCe arsenic IafselllouS aclu) anu COM
mon Carbonate of soda is cheaper than to
buy the arseniate. although the arseniate
method of preparation involves less time ana
labor One-fifth of pound of sal soda to
pound of arsenic should be boiled in gallon
of water until dissolved. The solution Is per-
manent, no stirring or shaking being neces-
sary to keep the poison mixed. One quart of
the solution to 40 gallons of water is used on
each acre. In applying poison with flowers,
much smaller quantity of the poison and its
dilutents will he sufficient and when the
hiOVEn nn6nT surfaces
adhesive element is no longer needed. Both
Paris green and London purple, when not
adulterated and where properly applied, have
always given satisfactory results The latter
seems to act little slower than the Paris
green; perhaps because the worms do not eat
Il so quickly, for they refuse to eat poisons
until they become very hungry, but it Is much
eeptible of much thinner distribution than
it usually gets. If very thinly and evenly ap-
in due time win prove equally as effective as
the Paris green. And it is likewise commend
able to administer any poison whatever that
IS to be used so early as to destroy the worms
before they reach destructive size, and
before they appear on the upper sur
faces of the leaves. Planters must be
urged to watch carefully the under sur
faces of the foliage throughout the culti-
waiting season. The very young worms are
less easily seen than the small spots of light
made by their gnawing of little patches from
the lower surfaces of the leaves AS soon as
and whenever the young ones have started
apply the poison immediately beneath the
foliage. The plowman, or weed chopper -
and be carefully trained to find them. At the
same time he should have, hanging from his
Shoulder or plow, a light bellows atomizer
charged with poison ready for use. it must
always be remembered that the worms are at
work now, on certain plants in certain fields
from March until winter; that the killing of
one early insect may prevent thousands OF
future progeny and save hundreds of dollars.
In the wet country the early worm will prob
ably be found first on the earlier cotton. on
the dryer sandy ridges or higher clay slopes,
while the later worms, which have generally
been the first ones noticed, and only observed
when they appear in very destructive num-
bers, may, to the less careful observer, first
come to view in either the same kinds of
"cuts" or in the wet buckshOt lands, upon
which they thrive es specially well in the latter
mart of tlf season. @ ---