The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1899-06-28
BOIL WORMS In COTTON.
FE AIRED THAT THE CROP WILL BE
GREATLY INJURED.
The State EntOmOlOgist Tells Of a
Remedy. Farmers Trying to Stop
the DestrOyerS.

1t is feared from the indications that
have reached the department Of agricul-
ture that the cotton crop IN south
Georgia is in danger of being partly
ruined and greatly cut down, owing to
the ray ages of the cotton boil worm.
Not a day has passed since the first OF
last week that urgent communications,
some times accompanied bya box of
the dreaded worms, have not been re-
ceiyed by the state entomologist, and that
official has been busy studying the best
methods known TO science OF getting
I'D of the boil worm by wholesale.
In many instances in the great cotton
growing belt between Macon and
Dawson the farmers have used every
method known to them of stepping the
vicious attacks of the boil worm on the
cotton, but the majority Of them report
that they are at a loss to understand
how to proceed. 1t is stated that reYer
before IN recent years has the boil worm
been found at Work on the cotton so
early. and that it is usually July the LIST
before any complaint is made OF them.
Cott,n growers haYe written the depart.
ment of agriculture that whole fields OF
cotton in their neigh bOrb Oods have been
stripped in great part of their leaves, and
that the capacity of the worms to multi
DIV is such that little or no progress can
be made against them.
The poorer farmers have raised Objec-
ton to use of paris green sprayed With
water or their cotton for the reason
that the poison costs 30 cents a pound,
and when large quantities are used and
70 a 8
small chance tor profit.
State EntomolOgist Scott, in speaking
of the methods he would advise the
farmers to employ, said:
Careful experiment with the use of
arsenical poisOns against the cotton
caterpillar, made some years ago in the
south, showed that the boil worm
could also be greatly reduced by the
same remedy. In case of emergency,
when tue cotton crop is threatened by
the boil worm the arsenic treatment is
recommended. 1t should be undt stood,
however, that by no means viii all
the worms be destroyed. Yet, if they
are present in sufficient numbers TO
destroy tie crop it will undoubtedly pay
to use the remedy. only fe" worms
can do INN ense damage, since one may
destroy ten to eighteen bolls. Not only
do they bore into aud destroy The bolls,
but they pierce the buds and cut the
stamens and pistil. Buds thus affected
may bloom, but no fruit will be formed.
Paris green is abont the best arsenical
poison to be- used, and this may be APP
piled in very simple manner. The folio W.
ing outfit, which consists of two sticks
attached TO the ends of a pole carried
over the back of mule, is about the
same as was used In distributing
Pals green IN ,he treatment of the
cotton caterpillar.
snake two sacks of eight
osnaburg, each ten inches long and
four inches wide, open on Que side and
closed at the ends. Take a strong
strip of wood 14x2 inches and five feet
long, bore a oue-inch hole five inches
from each end and attach sack TO
each end OF the pole by lacking the
opeE edges to the sides of the pole.
Fill the sacks with paris greco by the
use of a funnel through the holes n the
ends of the pole. The poison is then
distributed by carrying this outfit on
the back of a mule and riding between
the rows. Slight jarriDg will shake out
the poison, and two rows can be busted
at time. A short stick can be used
for the jarring. One man can treat
about Fifteen acres day."