Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1891-09-03
FARMER AND PLANTER.
THE BoLL-woRM.

sivc Bulletin No "a, of the United States
department of agriculture, we condense
the following:
The first food of the worm is the egg
shell from which it has just issued. No
sooner is the young larva fully out OF
its young she'll than it crawls away
once or twice its length, turns around,
and eats the shell either entirely or but
portion of it. This done it crawls
about for short time until it finds u
spot suited to its taste, usually first
spreading u few threads of frail web.
Under this the worm feeds on the cpl
dermis of whatever surface it may have
selected. Often they crawl but short
distance drop themselves down by a
slender thread until another surface is
struck, when they crawl away as before
and begin feeding.
Before the first mott the Larvae feed
principally outside the young forms and
| squares on whatever surface they may
| be when Matched. At about the time
of the first motifs or soon thereafter,
they begin seeking out the forms, bios
SONS and squares, and beg their de-
structive work of boring into them. 1t
must be stated, however, that from the
first few may be found to go directly
to a small form or square and either
boring through the lnvolucre and
thence into the blossoms or fruit, or
else first crawling between the in
volucre and fruit and then boring into
the latter. Often, too, they at first
simply hide behind the involucre, eat
ing the epidermis from the inside and
boring into the fruit later. Preferring
the tender growing portions Of the
branches, the younger worms, after
| finding them, secrete themselves in the
opening clusters of leaf and flower buds
and begin boring.
Their first feelings upon the leaves
whether on the upper or lower surface
are principally confined to the epider-
mis- About the time of the first mott
they begin to eat small holes through
the leaves. This is not continued long,
however, as at this time the worms be-
gin their search for the forms and
squares. During the younger period
the worms feed most on the reproduc-
tive organs or young forms, or such as
are nearly grown and opening. Some
time later, after about the second molt,
they begin boring more plentifully into
the larger bolls. The older worms,
while feeding principally in larger bolls,
do not confine themselves to them, and
are often found devouring a form or
opening blossoms. Due to their choice
of food Speaking only of the bulk, The
younger worms are found mostly on the
younger, tender-growing portions of the
cotton plant, and the more nearly
grown ones on the more mature por.
tions. For change the full-grown
worm sometimes feeds on leaf or eats
through the green stem of newly
formed branch Stems which were
$3.50 inch in diameter, and having
above them a number of FORMS have
been observed to be eaten nearly
through by them. A day or two after
the branch would be found wilted OF
nearly broken off.
|
manner in which boil is entered ant
the extent to which it feeds upon the
same after it has entered, are alsc
rather variable. The worm may pas.
in behidd the involucre and bore into
the boil from the inside, or it may
choose to do so from the outside, eating
through the involucre and then into the
boil. The hole is usually bored from
the bottom and passes toward the apex
frequently, however, the hole is abou
midway of the boil and passes straigh
in. AS the worm thus feeds on the in
side of the boil it may pass straight to
ward the apex, devouring only the sec
ton of the fruit which it has entered
and then retreat and attack anothe
boil, or it may bore through the parti
ton into second section, devouring it
or the passage of the worm may b,
slanting one from the first, in whicl
case two or three sections may be en-
tered before retreating. The worm sci
dom continues until it has destroye,
all of the sections of the boil, though
the remaining sections are made worth
less by the decay which arises an,
spreads from the injured portions.
The motion which some planter
have that the worm eats in at one poin
on the boil and passes out at another i
wrong, for if it does so it is certanl
the exception. Occasionally. however
there are two holes in boil similar t.
those which the boll-worm makes an
indeed the boll-worm has been the cul
prit. Observation, however, has prove
that the boll-worm occasionally begin
boring ut one point, eats into it but
short distance, retreats, and begins
second hole at another point on TIL
same boil. Sometimes, also, two worm
are found attacking the same boil
which, when they have finished an
left, it appears as if the worm ha
entered at one point and passed out a
another.
1t is further believed by some tina
the boll-worm travels only at night an
feeds only late in the afternoon an
evening. Concerning both it must b
said that the worms avoid the extreme
ly hot sunshiny part of the day, an
prefer travelling and feeding during tn
cooler parts; but at the same time COZ
siderable range must be allowed 70
a the worm and other conditions whic
4 may arise to induce the worm to g
from boil to boil during midday an
l often at high temperatures. AS bea1
$ ing on this it may be stated that ofte
s while making morning observations
the cotton fields worms were found
I bolls. Without any disturbance thes
: branches were marked so that they coul
f beasily found for experimental pu
. poses in the afternoon. In the afte
j noon it was always found that nun
Der of worms had gone to other boil
!. or even branches on the same plan
Il Occasionally, too, one would be foun
S to have left the plant entirely an
v could not be found. The changing
i