The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1892-10-15
FARMER AND PLANTER.
THE BOIL WORM.
Report OF Progress In the Investigation OF
It's habits and Ravagcs.


Its Habits and Ravagcs.
IF. W. Mally in Bulletin No 26. o. 5. Depart
ment Of Agriculture, Division Of
Entomology.
GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION AND DE-
sTRUCTIvENEss.
The boil worm is found throughout
the whole cotton region. Over the
greater portion of this area it's injury
is only slight and not worthy of special
economic consideration. The regions
where special remedial or preventive
measures are practicable comprise
that portion of Texas included by an
irregular line drawn from Paris to Ty.
Ter, to Cameron, to Temple, to Gaines
vile, to Paris. For Arkansas, mar
row belt from Fort Smith to Morrilton,
to Little Rock, TO the southeastern por-
ton of the state. For the Indian ter
ritory, strip running from Gainesville,
Tex, to Fort Smith, Ark.
These are the areas of greatest de-
structiveness, and for the whole area
the injury may range from 10 to Is per
cent of the whole crop. For certain
counties the percentage of injury is
greater. Again, individual plantations
may be almos. wholly destroyed while
a dozen others adjoining may escape
with only slight injury. The sensa-
tional reports of damage are nearly al.
ways based upon these individual ex-
amples, and an accurate scientific esti-
mate of the average for a county or
district Is seldom made. The worst in
Tested fields are, in most cases, those
which, for some of many reasons which
could be given in detailed report,
behind the others, that is, late
cotton. This makes them more
: attractive to the moths, and ac-
counts in part, for the fact
that one field is badly injured while
surrounding ones are not The injury
in other portions of the cotton region,
not specially outlined above, amounts
to less than per cent, and is so scat
tering as not to demand serious atten-
ton, unless, perhaps, in few isolated,
exceptional localities.
FOOD PLANTS.
Corn is well known as its choice food
plant. Cow peas rank next and cotton
/ probably third, though there Is evidence
that If the tomato crop were in as prime
condition later in the season when
corn natures, the tomato woald rank
third, and cotton, at best, about
: fourth. This accounts, In part, for
the slight injury to cotton over
most of the cotton belt, where many
of the crops just mentioned are
, planted second time later in the sea-
son, and, which, therefore, divides the
attack of the boil worm on cotton. Ex-
perience has abundantly shown that
cotton as food plant is more COM
pulson than a choice. More stress
should be placed upon the Importance,
from an economic chronological stand
point, upon the many host plants al
ready on record for this species In To-
calities where the cultivation of tobacco
is being introduced it is to be noted that
the boil worm abundantly attacks the
crop, and care must be exercised in
/ order that its ravages may not attain
serious proportions and endanger the
progress of the introduction of this
crop. In large cities even flower
gardens entirely isolated from corn
or cotton fields have been frequently
found to be infested with boil worm.
This can not be accidental, as might be
urged If these gardens were exposed to
badly-infected fields. and it simply IL
Illustrates the reckless, apparently in
different habit Of the female as to the
host plant upon which she deposits.
Special mention in city flower gardens
should be given the verbena. geranium,
abutilon, rosebuds and jackbeans.
CHARACTERS AND TRANSFORMATIONS.
These have been 50 fully described
heretofore that nothing further de-
serves special mention in this connec-
ton, except the habit of cannibalism
among the worms. As for the images,
former observations as to their diurnal
habits have been fully verified the
present season. At Arlington, Tex,
last August hundreds were seen
flying and feeding freely on cow peas
from $3.50 to about II a. m. Though
carefully watched, deposition at this
time was not observed, and it appeared
that they were only breakfasting.
Deposition, however, could be frequent
ly noted in the afternoon, several hours
before shutdown.
NUMBER OF BRooDs AND INCARNATION
additional need be mentioned at this
time. The question of Information
however, demands special considera.
ton, and steps must be taken to de-
termine more definitely the facts
Your agent, unfortunately, has been
located in regions not especially in.
tested, and it transpires that owing tc
the Scarcity of adults at any season, in
the localities under observation, that
alternating specimens would be rar,'ly
found.