Madison times. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1884-1???, 1884-09-27
Tie Cotton Worm, Tie Question OF
Information Settled.

discoveries of importance anent this in
sect to the National Academy of Science
at its annual session in Washington
last May, l considered the question Of
Information, and will here repeat the
| statement.
There are various theories held by
competent men, both entomologists and
planters, as u the Information OF this
Aletia some believe that IL h!bernated
in the chrysalis state, some that II sur
! viyed in the moth state, while still 9TH
crs contend that il did not hibernate ~
all in the United States. There We're
many known facts which gave weight
to this last hypothesis by Prof. 4. K.
Grote. The strongest points in it's IA
vor were that the insect was never seen
in any state during the months Of
March, April and May, together with
the tendency of error from mistaking
other species on the part of those who
reported having found either the chrys
| ais or the moth during the winter
months.
Yet there were many facts which, as
then stated, led me to believe that
the theory was erroneous and that, as
Ihave already contended, the insect Gid
hibernate in the Southern portion of
the cotton belt How difficult ii has
been to get absolute and experimental
proof of the correctness Of this belief
may be gathered from the fact that |
have had competent agents each winter
since that Of lS79-S0 fully instructed to
search for and obtain such evidence,
and that until the present winter
it has never been forthcoming. l
am glad to be able to state, however,
that il is now an established fact, and
that during a trip, last March, TO South
Georgia and Florida, I was able to COM
pletely bridge the gap which had Nth
erto been supposed TO exist 10 the
annual cycle of the insects history. We
have, during the past winter, been able
to obtain the moth, and have watched
them in fact until the early part of
March We have found the eggs de-
posted also IN the early part of March
lust as the alternating moths were dis
appearing, and have found worms Of
: all sizes on ration cotton during the
latter part of the month. | received
chrysalids from this first brood of worms
on The first day OF April, and the fresh
moths are now issuing. This is fully
six weeks 10 two months earlier than
the first worms were discoxcred in the
spring, 1879 and 1880, though we then
: discovered them in the latter part OF
, April, or several weeks earlier than they
had previously been recorded. In short
there is nothing more fully established
now than that the moth hibern ates
| principally under the shelter OF rank
wire-grass in the more heavily timbered
portions of the South that these moths
begin laying on the ratoOn cotton
when this is one inch or ST. high.
That the first few generations OF
worms are rarely noticed and never
particularly injurious is due to the fact
D that they are more generally dispersed
,. (the moth appearing to fly great dis
tances, laying here an egg and there an
egg, instead of laying hundreds on the
4 same plant as il does later in the sea,
8 son. few in numbers, and quite liable
y to attack other food also to the less
. rapid development during the cooler
spring months. Aside from the salts
faction of bringing over 80 important :
o zap in natural history of this dcstruc
:, tive insect, the fact established hal
this important economic bearing
Whereas, upon the theory OF annua
invasion from some exotic country
There was no incentive to winter o
spring work looking to the destruction
of the moths, there is now every incen
Z tive to such action as will destroy il
q either by attracting il during the milk
} winter weather by sweets or 10y burnin;
:. the grasses in which il shelters.
1t should be a warning to- cotton
growers to abandon the slovenly meth
cd of cultivation which leaves the oil
stalks standing until the next crop i
planted or long after that event, 70
:, many planters have the habit of plant
l. ing the seed in a furrow between tn
old row of stalks. The most careful
~ recent researches all tend to confirm
{ the belief that Gossypium is the onl
- plant upon which the worm can feed
a so that in the light of the facts whle
10 Ihave presented there is all the great
er incentive to that mode of cultur
% which will prevent the growth Of ratoo
'r cotton, since it is very questionable
le whether the moth will survive Ion
A. enough to perpetuate itselfupon newly
=, sown cotton except for the interventio
: OF the ration Observation-Disclosures Z.
u Reilly. u. S. Entomologist.
leI Talk With n Diver