The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1913-08-16
Be Prepared for the Cotton WOrn1
ByR W. Harmed, of Mississippi Agricultural
Experiment Station

The cotton worm has made it's APP
pearance in several counties in Mis-
sissippi. Specimens have been seceiv-
ed from Noxubee, Oktibbeha, Lowndes, !
and Monroe counties. 1t 81 probable
that the worms are in many other |
counties
Conditions Similar to Last Year.
The cotton worms made their first
appearance this year in practically
the same places as last year. They are
about ten days later but this is Offset
by the fact that the cotton crop is at
least two weeks behind the crop of
1911. The worms have appeared in
Alabama and have already done con-
siderable damage in Texas. In all
probability the worms will increase
rapidly and the next generation which
will appear early in August may be
large enough to do considerable dam
age. 1t is likely that every county
nthe state will be infested before the
close of the season No one can be
sure what these insects are going to
do but we have last years experience
to help us. Last year many planters
lost heavily simply because they could
not buy poison. The demans was so
great that the supply of Paris green
and powdered arsenate of lead was
soon exhausted.
Results in 1911 at Experiment
Station.
Last year experiments were carried
on to determine the value of poisoning
for this insect. The poison was APP
piled twice-August 20 and August3O.
The cotton that was poisoned aver
aged only 767 pounds per acre.
Poisons to Use.
The two poisons to use are Paris
green and powdered arsenate of lead.
Paris green is an old poison and is well
known. 1t is more poisonous than
powdered arsenate of lead and one
pound is usually enough for an acre
of cotton. 1t is likely to burn the
foliage if applied too strong. Each
pound should be mixed with at least
two pounds of four-to make it stick
better and to get it more evenly dis
tributed over the plants. Last year
the persons in charge of poisoning the
cotton worms at the experiment sta
ton thought the Paris green was more
satisfactory than the powdered arse
nate of lead. Experiments in other
states have shown that Paris green
will materially check the fruiting of
the cotton and is therefore not recon-
mended as highly as the powdered
arsenate of lead. The powdered arse
nate of lead is a new poison that is
rapidly replacing Paris green as an in
secticide It does not injure the plant
and it is therefore not necessary to
mix it with -four or lime. 1t is neces-
sary to apply at least three pounds
per acre, but there is no danger of
getting it on too thick as there is
with Paris green.
How to Apply Poison.
The quickest method of applying
the poison is to dust it through sacks
carried at the ends of a pole or mar
row strip of board by man on a mule.
The poles should eat least Is inches
longer than the rows are wide. The
sacks should be attached lengthwise
at the ends of the poles. Holes are
bored through the pole or board
through which the poison is poured in
filling the sacks. These holes are
closed with shoppers when the bags
are filled to prevent the poison from
being wasted Several kinds of cloth
have been used for these bags; two or
three thicknesses of cheese cloth
makes a very satisfactory bag, "S or
Oznaburg'' is sometimes used, old flour
bags will probably do very well. The
amount of poison that is used depends
upon the thickness of the cloth and
the force with which the pole is jar