The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-08-29
ARMY WORMS AND COTTON.
Much Paris Green Being Used to Save
the Southern Crop.

New Orleans Times-Democrat.
Tons of paris green are now going into
the country from New Orleans wholesale
drug dealers, parts of it by shipment direct,
much of it through orders from the commits
sion merchants and others in the city inter-
ested in the welfare of the cotton crop. All
this means that the dreaded army worm
has entered the cotton fields, or is upon the
point of doing The shipments began sew
eral weeks ago and are increasing in size.
The territory to which they are going ex-
tends from the lower countries in Florida
to the northern limits Of the cotton belt.
New Orleans has been for many years. and
is now, the greatest distributor of the conn
mercial paris green. l. l.. Lyons & co.
manufactured the commodity in their own
plant several years ago, but have since dis
continued the custom, and now the entire
trade buys largely from the manufactures
in the East.
Some paris green is shipped every year.
The shipments this year are larger than
usual, but not so large as was anticipated
several weeks ago, when the worms first
made their appearance. What poison is to
be sent into the country will probably leave
the city before Sept. Is, for according to
the experience of the planters, the worms
do little damage after that time.
This year the first call for paris green
came from Florida. The demand then ex-
tended over Alabama, Georgia, into North
and South Carolina. skipped to Texas, and,
last of all, was heard from Mississippi and
the northern parishes of Louisiana. Every
where the antidote to army worm destruc-
ton has been sent the Niger and the
mule are now shaking the green dust into
the long cotton burrows from the wifidward
berth. while the planter growls over the
bills and blesses the chemist who first dis
covered the efficacy of the arsenic COM
pound.
1t is the habit of the army worm.
striped little monster that cotton planter
can recognize across plantation, even If
IL is barely an inch long when full grown,
TO enter the fields where the growth is
rank, and the heavy leaves and luxuriant
sap of the late summer are padding pounds
to the acres yield every day. This habit is
due TO the foresight of the parent moth, a
modest appareled. little brown creature,
which chooses the sheltered spots for her
family rearing. Without apparent reason,
the progeny of the moth will appear In
cotton, devouring leaf, form, square, and
even the smallest bolls and the frailest
stalks, rapidly leaving the cotton stalks as
tattered as the hopes of hacker of the
Shamrock III.
The army crosses turn-rows.
climbs in and out bitches, crosses creeks on
RATS of his own construction, devomrs boil
worms, Mexican weevils, and all other
enemies of the cotton planter, but more
than makes up for his damage by his own
thorough work of destruction. All this he
does if the planter does not buy paris green
TO sprinkle on the plant.
The moth is thought to lay three sets
of eggs at intervals of seven days each
The eggs take twenty-one days 10 incu-
bate and turn loose destroyers upon the
crop. Then, from the first appearance of
the worm until the coming of frost, the
planter expects weekly installment of
ravagers. The worm is combated by the
use of paris green, by digging trenches
about the various fields. and dragging logs
through the trenches when they are filled
with worms struggling to cross to other
and unconquered lands; by lighting torches
in the fields when the moths are laying
and allowing the little pests to kill them
selves in the flames. The first method is
the only one the planters have found
efficacious to any degree.
To put ii into operation they buy the
paris green from the dealers, in packages
varying from five pounds weight TO go and
500. according TO the quantity needed Some
planters have machines which spray the
powder upon the plant and are drawn
through the fields by mules More OF the
planters simply place negro on a mule.
give him two bags OF paris green, which
he balances on the end of a stick resting
upon the pummel of his saddle, and pay
him TO ride through the cotton field with
his face to he wind The dust is
thus scattered over the cotton plant:
the leaf and the stalk and the boil becomes
undigestibe 10 the worm, and the worm
dies.