The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-09-05
BOIL WORM IN TEXAS.

|. BOLL WORM IN TEXAS.
 Work of the United States Department of Agriculture.
 A. L.. Continuance in Farm and Ranch Since about 1S41, the cotton boil worm has ravaged the cotton crops of the South, It's injuries being more or less periodic. For several years a given locality may suffer but little if any injury, and then for a period of two or three years, the destruction may amount to as much as 40 to 30 per , cent of the crop.
 The field of experiments were con- ducted principally along the following lines.
 First-To determine the possibility of making a crop of cotton before the period of greatest boil worm injury in August, by the early planting of carly maturing varieties of cotton, aided by thorough cultivation.
 second-To determine the value in boil worm control, of spraying or dust ing cotton with arsenical poisons. Third-To determine the value of corn as a trap crop. in protecting cot- ton from boil worm injury.
 Results of Investigations. Incidentally, tests were made of
 light traps. poisoned sweets, fumiga-
 tion of fields with sulphur and meth ods of similar character.
 In reference to cultural methods it
 may be said. that the early planting of
 early maturing varieties of cotton.
 aided by thorough cultivation (seven
 to eight plowings and three to four
 hoeings) is of the utmost importance
 to insure fair crop of cotton before
 the period of greatest boil worm in-
 jury In August. This is based on the
 circumstance that the boil worms
 leave the corn as 1t begins to harden
 during late July. and turn their att
 tention to cotton. Injury to cotton.
 therefore, Is rarely of importance be-
 fore early August, by which time early
 cotton will have matured a consider
 able number of bolls, which on &C.,
 count of their hardness. are practically
 exempt from boil worm injury. It is
 scarcely necessary to point out that
 the methods above indicated are such
 as have also been found most effective
 in circumventing loss from the Mexi-
 can cotton boil weevil. It thus be-
 comes possible, by the adoption of cul-
 tural methods to avoid to a consider
 aple extent. injury from the two most
 serious pests of the cotton crop.
 How to Poison Bon Worms. In the experiments with poisons,
 which were conducted at Calvert and
 at Hetty. Texas. there were shown at
 the former place, net gain of S4. A per acre. and at the latter place. a net gain of $5.70 per acre. Poisons were
 applied thoroughly to the cotton plants during August at the rate of from one
 to three pounds per acre, both the
 spray pump and the usual dusting
 methods being employed. The value t,. AArl
 based on the fact that for a few days
 after matching. the young larvae feed here and there on the exposed portions. especially the leaves, and are conse- quently easily killed at this time. if poisons be present on the plants, Af- ter the boil worms have grown to A size to be readily detected, they have. for the most part, gone to the squares
 and young bolls and may not then be
 poisoned to any extent. Disappoint-
 ments, as rule. have heretofore fol
 lowed the attempts at poisoning the
 boil worm, from the fact that the ap-
 plications have been made too late
 After the larvae have begun to attack
 the squares and bolls, they feed most
 " on the interior parts and are mani.
 festly not to be poisoned. In general
 poisons should be applied to the cotton
 boil worm during the last week in July
 and again during the first week in Au-
 gust. third application is desir- able, especially if the weather is more or less rainy, not later than the 10th Of August. The dusting methods com
 monly used in poisoning the leaf worm Is fairly satisfactory. The Paris green should be used at the rate of about two pounds per acre.
 rests Of corn as trap crop were made at Calvert and at Wills Point Tex. involving in all 100 acres. Unfa. vorable weather and soil conditions interfered greatly with the experiment as originally planned. Nevertheless the observations made leave no doubt of the great value of late corn fin pro- tecting cotton from boil worm injury During August the belts of trap corn were largely used by the boil worm moths for egg-laying purposes. A maximum of 500 eggs were counted on a single plant, and the average of eight typical plants was 495 eggs per plant. The protective influence of inc corn was most apparent. The most practicable way to utilize corn to pro- tect the cotton crop will doubtless be round In the adoption of a plan where by the grain and early maturing crons usually grown, will be distributed quite generally over the plantation in five to ten acre areas. As soon as these early crops have been gathered. this land should be prepared and plant ed to late corn. between or in the rows or which cowpeas should be planted as soon as the corn has gotten a start Cuts of late corn ahd peas distributed here and there over the plantation would undoubtedly afford valuable pro- lection to the cotton crop and there ia much testimony from planters to oth- CTS. that this expedient alone, is all that is necessary in avoiding serious loss from this pest.
 The Life and Habits of the BoIl Worm. |
 First-The insect hibernates during 1 winter In the pupa stage, some three to five inches below the surface of the | ground.
 second-The moths appear from these pupae during April. May and | June in the cotton belt according to | latitude and soil conditions.
 Third-The first generation of moths deposit their eggs largely on field corn. | which at the time of their emergence | In any locality. Is mostly from twelve To twenty-four inches high. The re- sulting larvae feed on the tender buds of the corn, and are commonly desfg- hated bud worms"
 Fourth-The larvae continue to in- Test corn during June and July. feed Ing principally on the ears.
 Fifth-By the time that the moths have developed from the larvae infest- Ing the roasting ears, the corn throughout the country has become too hard and the leaves too dry to be longer attractive to the moths for egg laying purposes and they turn their