The Lafayette advertiser. [volume] (Vermilionville [i.e. Lafayette], La.) 1865-19??, 1909-08-10
new ENEMY OF
COTTON PLANT,
Cotton Flea Has Appeared in Parish
and is Said to Be Doing Much
Harm.
LITTLE KNOWN LOCALLY OF
THIS NEW PEST.
Attacks Leaves and Forms Eating
Away Observation-Disclosures Worst
in Rainy Weather.

A new enemy 10 tne COTTON plant
has just appeared In this parish in
the form of an insect known as the
cotton flea. Little is known locally
Of this new pest and inquiry among
the oldest and nose experienced
farmers failed to elicit any informa-
tiOn concerning it or it's habits.
Saturday Mr.. Overton Cade, an ex-
tensive cotton planter near YOungs
vile, returning from a short visit to
Texas, found his fields thoroughly in
tested with the cotton flea. He de-
scribes the insects as somewhat
smaller than the ordinary lady bug
and of light brown color They at
tack the leaves and cotton forms, eat
ing away the substance and leaving
nothing but the bare skeleton of fo-
liage. Mr.. Cade reports that the flea
will practically complete the destruc-
tion of his crop, which had already
suffered from the ravages of the boil
weevil. Prospects so bright a few
days ago have been completely blight
ed and the yield in many places will
amount to little or nothing. This is
especially true where late variety
of cotton has been planted. The flea
is reported particularly voracious and
Mr.. Cade has found half a dozen or
more on the cotton bloom, vieing in
the work Of destruction with the boil
weevil on the same form. How ex.
tensive are the operations of the new
pest cannot be now stated. Mr.. Cade
feels satisfied that his neighbors as
well as himself will soon feel, If they
have not already felt, the destructive
work of the flea.
Mr.. L. E. Perrin, who was in town
last Saturday, reported the flea as
affecting cotton in several parishes
of this section of the State, but gave
no judgment as to what extent the
pest might 60 in it's operations. 1t
seems to be something new altogether
and presents another problem for the
government experts to solve, even
before they have reached any salts
factory conclusion as to the boil Vice.
vii. No doubt a careful study will
soon be made of this new pest Of the
cotton fields and it is to be hoped
that there may be prompter and more
effective measures devised for it's
eradication than has yet been discov-
cred for the boil weevil
DR.. T. B. Hopkins, who has had
long experience in all that concerns
the agricultural development of the
parish, was appealed to for light on
the cotton fea, but says he knows
nothing Of the insect or its history.
The Doctor thinks, however. that If
the cotton plant is stripped of it's TO-
liage Just now it would be Of great
advantage, allowing the bolls to ma.
true properly. He considers that
the plant will make little, If any more
fruit, from now on by reason of the
boil weevil, and plenty of sunshine is
needed to mature the bolls already
made.
DR.. Hopkins is of the opinion that
the cotton worm or any other pest
that wfll eat up the leaves just now
would prove of benefit to the cotton
pIanUer.
Later information from Judge
Chas. Hernandez, Jr., and several
farmers Of the eighth ward, shows
that the fea is at work in that Sec
tion also, but has been we'll known
for years. These farmers say that
there are two kinds, one light brown
and the other yellow in color, both
being equally destructive The ap-
pearance of the insects is coincident
with rainy seasons, their presence
during dry weather hardly ever being
noticeable.