The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1910-07-20
RED SPIDER PEST.
Cotton Fields Attacked--Agent of
Agricultural Department Tells Beet
Way OF Combating the Snail Bugs.

Lexington, July 1.-THE red spid-
er has broken out on the farm of r.
II. Caughman. near Lexington, and
! threatens to be very destructive to
the cotton crop should the present
wet season be followed by a contin-
ued hot and dry spell. 1t appears
from the statements of those interest
ed in this cotton pest that a. great
many sections of the State are infest-
ed and it is believed that unless its
spread is checked, it will become
shortly as destructive as the boil wee
vii. The cotton affected willis as if it
were scalded and finally dies. No
practical remedy has as yet been
found, though there are preventive
remedies which appear successful
The department of agriculture has
established laboratory at Batesburg
for a thorough study of the red spid-
er, and H. f. Wilson in charge of the
work visited Lexington and made an
examination of the Caughman field.
He is positive, in his opinion, that the
trouble is the red spider and, of
| course, he realizes the danger of it's
further spread.
In speaking about this matter. Mr..
Wilson makes these interesting OBJ
| servations; and desires that they
shall receive the attention of farm
| ers throughout the State:
"Violets and poke weeds appear to
| be the plants from which the spiders
spread to the cotton. 1 have observ-
ed number of fields where violets in
yards were badly infested with the
| spider before it passed to the cotton.
| The original infection began close to
the violets and spread out first in a
fan shaped form and then gradually
| the whole field became infested. The
| same thing is obsesved in connection
| with poke weeds, Jersualem oak,
| eurdock, morning glories and garden
beans are food plants Off the spider
and should be kept way from cotton
| fields. The spider seems to be pretty
we'll scattered about the State and is
| doing considerable damage, and
threatens to do great deal more un-
less some means can be found for
checking it,
Il have hardly gone far enough
with the work to be able to suggest
desirable remedy. However. poke
weeds and violets near cotton fields
should all be destroyed, and if the
| spider is only found on a few plants,
these should be pulled and burned.
The spider seems to be able to win
ter in violets and the danger lies in
infestation from these sources.
| Where the infestation is bad /
have found the following mixture to
be effective in killing the most of
them: One pound Of sulphur to three
| gallons Of water. The sulphur to
be placed in a bucket or pan and
enough water added to form a paste
with the sulphur, then the remainder
| of the water can be added. This
mixture can be applied with a spay
pump or with an ordinary sprinkler.
Care should be taken that the mix
| ture is gotten onto the under side of
the leaf The spider propagates itself
very rapidly and the failure to make
thorough spray leaves room for
danger in the future.
THE most practical method in the
way of prevention seems to be that
| of crop rotation and 1 hope that by
| the end Of the season a satisfactory
system of rotation may be worked
out. The farmers themselves can do
a great deal towards preventing the
spread Of this pest if they will be
| careful about plowing around infest-
ed stalks. The spider catches on the
| harness and may be carried a long
| ways into the field and a new COLONY
| planted. This is very serious prob
| lem and to some extent a new one
The department is doing the best it
can and is greatly interested in the
| work."