St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1902-05-17
FARMER AND PLANTER.
BOIL WORM AND ROOT ROT.
An Outline of the Warfare On the
Two Cotton Enemies BY
Competent Authority.

In submitting the following outline
If warfare against the boil worm of
cotton, it should be explained that
corn is the first choice as food
plant for this pest, with cow-peas sec
ond, and cotton only third. 1t is evil
dent, therefore, that to protect cot
ton from boil worm attack, one OF
both of these should be kept in prime
condition as food for the pest. The
important point to be attained is to
have the trap rows of corn and peas
furnish corn in silks and roasting
ears, or peas in bloom throughout
the season. There must never be a
time when a brood of boil worm
moths are issuing, that they will be
forced to go to cotton, because there
is no corn or COW peas in suitable
condition. Hundreds of tests have
resulted in proving that the follow
ing outline of successive steps in the
boil worm fight will always bring sat-
isfactory results. II the filed is about
square, select four rows through ev-
eyr ten acres of the land for trap
rows. If the field is long and narrow,
and the rows run the narrow way,
leave four rows as trap about ev-
cry three hundred feet. Then,
First-Bed up one of the rows ready
for corn planting by the middle of
March. March Is, plant this row with
an extra early maturing variety OF
corn. Adams Extra Early has usu-
ally proven to be the most service
able for this purpose. ~~
row about April Is, using any ordi-
nary kind of field corn.
Third-Drill Adams Extra Early
corn into the third trap row about
May Is.
Fourth-Drin Mexican June corn
into the fourth trap row June 1 to
10. ..-7 1T F|'w
In all cases it must be urged to
thin to a close stand at the proper
time, and above all to give frequent
shallow civilizations so as to force
roasting ears as soon as possible.
Each farmer should take pains to
inspect these trap rows carefully
from time to time. The full grown
boil worm measurers from an inch
and a quarter to Aan inch and half
in length, and when full fed leaves
the ear of corn for the ground, which
it enters and there changes into an
other boil worm moth. This moth,
or miller" or ety." whichever the
farmer may call it, comes out, and
soon begins laying the eggs for an
other brood of the boil worms. These
eggs are about the size of a small pin
head, and when freshly laid are pure
white. When corn is in roasting ears
they lay most of their eggs upon the
silks of these ears, and can easily be
detected there in the trap rows where
great numbers will be found. BY the
second day after being layed, the egg
shows brown band around the cen
ter, and a copule of days later
worm will be Matched from it. After
midseason boil worm eggs are often
attacked by parasites. In that case
the eggs are dark, or even black all
over. From such eggs parasites will
be Matched, which will in due course
destroy more boil worm eggs. Para
sites, it should be understood, are the
cotton planters friends.
Fifth-Keep careful watch of the
silks and roasting ears of trap row
No 1. AS soon as boil worms are
about grown, and no more fresh,
white eggs are found on the silks,
this row should be cut out and fed
to stock, especially cattle, making
sure the feeding is done in manner
to destroy the worms in the roasting
ears, OF the eggs on the silks.
1 Sixth-Drill speckled peas into row
No. as soon as the corn is cut out.
Cultivate well, SO as to force early
blooming and a rank growth.
Seventh-Watch the silks and roast
ing ears of row No. 2 carefully. If
the ears are well stocked with boil
worms, note carefully when there are
no more white eggs to be found on
the silks. If at that time the worms
In the ears are about full grown, cut
this row out, and feed as suggested
for row No. l.
Eighth-Drill cow peas into row
No. as soon as the corn has been
cut out. Cultivate we'll to make Wig
orous growth.
Ninth-Keep careful watch on the
silks and roasting ears of rows Nos.
o,,d 4 TooL ont for tho UNIFORMLY
dark or blackish eggs which are para
sitized. If many of these are found,
the rows of corn should be left stand
ing. Furthermore, if few fresh,
white eggs are being found from time
to time, it will be well in that case
to allow these rows to remain and
mature, in order that they may act as
= trap for longer period. If it be-
comes evident that here are no para