The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1913-08-13
RED SPIDER is ABROAD
Insect Pest, An Enemy of Cotton, is
in This State.

Farmers are always having their
troubles and local agriculturists are
no exceptions to the rule. Not only
have their been rumors of the army
worm getting busy, although no Sc
rious ravages have been reported, but
the red spider, an enemy OF cotton,
has made its appearance, and has
caused considerable concern.
We are in receipt Of a bulletin on
the red spider and how to destroy it
from Entomologist A. F. Conrad, Of
Clemson College, which will be Of
much interest to local farmers suffer-
ing from the red spider.
The bulletin as to the RED Spider
on Cotton, is as follows: This in
sect is at present being reported from
number Of localities in the State
and according to the present outlook,
trouble may be expected from this
port as soon as dry weather sets in.
The red spider, which is a mite, has
USCu Gil lHO1 IclhS VIVA PSSs 49, ~~~~~
State for the last four years.
The damage varies in different To-
calities from year to year, and the
loss to the cotton may vary from 10
to 20 per cent. This insect occurs on
the under side of the cotton leaves,
and when looked at with the naked
eye, it appears like a dot Of reddish
ink from the point Of fine pen. The
under surface Of the leaf is covered
with a fine web under which the in
sect lives and feeds. The female lays
about fifty eggs, and the life history
during warm weather requires about
t10 days. Infested leaves turn red
dish and fall off one by one and final
ly the plant dies.
There are a number Of important
recommendation against this pest in
the fall and spring, but these are at
the present time out of the question.
The question is, what can be done at
| the present time? Burn, grub out, or
otherwise destroy violets and poke
weeds.
Underbrush in red spider inject
ed cotton field is very undesirable.
With the appearance of dry weather
carefully watch your cotton fields for
the first appearance of red spider in
tested stalks. They can be detected
bv the change Of color in the leaves.
and these plants should be destroyed
Immediately. Avoid careless drag
ging of these infested plants over the
plantation from r1a"e to rlace, be-
causeit mechanically spreads the
pest.
Local infestations on plantations
can be successfully and economically
controlled by the application o.:
sprays. It is all important that the
fields be watched and the spray. an
piled when the first insestation is no
ticed. Not only should infested be
sprayed, but also the plants inmedi-
ately surrounding the infested or dis
colored area. Whichever spray is US
ed, there should be two applications.
one week apart. The second spray is
to kill the red spiders that have
hatched from eggs since the first
spray was given. The potassium sui
phide spray recommended by Mr.. Nc
Gregor, of the red spider labratory
Of the bureau Of entomology. is cheap
cause it mechanically spreads the
lows:
Potassium sulphide. three pounds;
water 100 gallons.
Potassium sulphide costs abont %
cents a pound and thus 100 gallons
would cost about IS cents: and is sut-
fcient for spraying one acre. Potas-
SUM can be obtained at practically
every drug store and is therefore,
available in most local markets. Lime
SULPHUR wash is another spray that Is
very effective against this insecf.
This can be made at home like the
regular lime sulphur wash used TOR
the spraying Of fruit trees asa'nS'
San Jose scale. 1t is prepared as tol-
lows:
ouicklime, % pounds; water 100 gal
Ions.
The cost Of 100 gallons is ahont
s1.4n This lime sulphur wash can
also be purchased in the market as
concentrated lime sulphur wash and
the sprva can be prepared by adding
two gallons of the wash to 100 gal
IONS Of water. OF the SPRAYS r'"nn
above. the first. namely. potassium
sulphide, is recommended