The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-07-16
The CottdW orm.


Az the REQUEST of inmissioner Hender-
! en-, DR.. L. B Clifton Gently appointed en-
t,nolopist of the aeuitural department,
i rranared the followg article, which en-
bodies much infoIAtlon concerning the
cotton worm and delopes the latest prac-
real methods of dduction.
The article is pushed for the benefit of
che farmers, and Cnmissioner Henderson
urges upon them be necessity of taking
rr9mpJ action, articularly in those
n,unties in W hich pests are most likely
TO appear.
About all that is nown Of this insect,
j together with the nlhod of its destruction
E by poison, may be ,ted in a few words.
The caterpillar GOES from an egg depos-
tied by the MOTH gerally on the under
side Of the first or lder leaves of the cot
ton reed. The eggslatch in from two TO
egat days. The cerpillars while small
do very little damage They merely burrow
into the under surfaoof the leaf, leaving a
trace of the yellowh stain. These bur
rows may be easily distinguished on &C
count of their form ad color.
The worms make eir appearance the
first brood from Ma until July, depend
ing on the locality anseusou. In Florida
and southern Georgia they may come as
early as the first ofDIay, while in the
northern part of the sate they hardly ever
show up until about the first of July.
i There are, in the latitde of Macon, from
three to five generation Of these caterpil-
/ lars, while on the gul there may be as
many as seven or even eight generations
in a single season. In bout three weeks
the caterpilIars completctheir growth and
spin a rude cocoon, fequently using a
4 rolled leaf for this purpse. In another
week the moth is released rom the cocoon,
/ and within twenty -four hurs proceeds to
deposit eggs for the second generation. A
single female moth may lay as many as
eight hundred eggs, and shouh they all go
through the changes without accident, it
would be possible for one NTH to be the
maternal ancestor of 20,00O,OO,OOO cater
pillars in a single season. Fip or six full
grown caperpillars on a plat would en-
Danger the cotton crop
Now, it is evido Mt that var should be
waged on the first or spring hood of cater
pillars The cotton plants arr then small
and the worms more easily discovered. 1t
also takes much less fluid to spiay the leaves
at this time. The young caerplllars are
i more susceptible to the poison, and the des-
tructon Of one worm at this date may rep
resent the destruction of eight hundred
month later, and more than million dur
ing the entire season.
The poison should be applied TO the spot
on which the caterpillars are feeding. 1t
would be possible to spray thousands of gal
Ions Of insecttude fluid on the tops of the
leaves without destroying single cater
pillar, while they are still young and feed
ing on the under side of the leaf. 1t is ex-
tremely difficult to wet the under side of
leaf with fluid applied from above. The
pores through which the plant respires are
generally on the under side OF the leaf, and
nature has so provided as to protect them
from being weUted from above. Then, the
only effective method is to apply the
spray to the under side Of the leaves. Here
must admit that no spraying apparatus,
with which l am acquainted, is perfectly
adapted for this work, but it is TO BE- hoped
that the ingenuity of some of our inventive
genuses will contrive to supply this want.
As to the poisons to be used, large num-
Der have been suggested, but the most etfec-
tive, as well as the cheapest, seems to be
some form of orsa,,ia col,1tiou
An excellent fluid for the purpose may be
made by any ole of ordinary intelligence,
as follows:
Arsenic one pound,
Carbonate Of soda, four ounces.
Place these in gallon of soft water and
boil until dissolved.
This gallon of solution should then be
Diluted with $50 gallons of water and used as
spray applet to the under surfaces of the
cotton leaves where the young caterpillars
are feeding. by carefully watching the
under side of the leaves for the first appear
ance of the worms, a small quantity of this
duid will destroy them.
rarls green may be used instead of the
above. One pound of Paris green TO about
LILY gallons of water, and used in the same
manner.
London purple may also be used, but
must be continually agitated to keep it sus-
pended in the water. One pound of London
purple to 100 gallons of water is about the
rIgAt proportion. All these substances are
Preparations of asenic.
t.
10 summarizes: Commence war on the
'o'erpllars as soon as you discover their
presence Destroy the first generation if
possible. They are not the ones that do
'ae greatest damage, but their descendants
VI Tie next and succeeding generations do
'ne INJURY, and the easiest way is TO destroy
Tue lrst arrivals. After the worms reach
ls'lIy their full growth they eat so raven
,Ny and rapidly that little can be done.
-A''nine the under side of the lower leaves
'a'eIlIly and often Remember the cater
F'N'IS are very small when first Matched,
4'' Iens will very much facilitate an ex-
a'1''ation. Look carefully for the yellow
3d. cre,cent-shaped marking, left by the
'o'in where it has tunneled the under sur
,a'9 Oh the leaf. | you find these, you may
sure the caterpillers are on the plant
Ie"here and you should look until you
'' 'nenl and at once apply the remedy.
Take Care of the Cow.
livery spring, says the Baltimore ADieri-
t''' many city residents, having read rural
e''NS al winter, are filled with desire for