Bryan daily eagle and pilot. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1909-1918, 1914-08-27
THE COTTON LEAF
WORM, OR ARMY WORM"

The cotton leaf worm, otherwise
known as the army worm" careless
worm," cotton caterpillar" and other
names, has made its appearance in
parts OF Texas. This is the same In
sect that spread over the entire cot
ton belt last summer, causing con-
sternation among the cotton planters
and doing no inconsiderable amount
OF damage. The history OF this pest
for the past seventy-hve years has
been that II is destructive for few
seasons in succession and then be-
comes OF little Importance for from
fifteen to twenty years before another
outbreak. The appearance OF the pest
after last years outbreak is therefore
unexpected.
The worm or larva is the young
stage OF small moth and the rate of
development is quite rapid. a genera
ton Of the insects being produced
about every three or four weeks. The
adult moths OF each generation fly or
migrate northward and deposit eggs
in cotton fields on their way. thus
spreading the pest rapidly.
Cotton planters everywhere should
be on the lookout for this insect and
be prepared to fight it Just as soon as
the first small worms appear in the
cotton fields.
Fortunately this insect is very easy
to control by means OF poisons. In
former years Paris green was quite
generally used. but this has been
largely superseded by better poison
known as powdered arsenate Of lead.
now generally on the market and cost
ing about the same price as Paris
green. Paris green has the disadvan-
tage OF burning the cotton and of
blistering the men and work animals
used. to say nothing OF its dangerous
nature. Many experiments in recent
years have also proven that Paris
green will cut down the yield Of cot
ton. no matter how small a quantity
is applied. on account OF the fact that
II contains water-soluble arsenic. The
newer poison. powdered arsenate OF
lead. contains very little soluble ar
senic, and will not reduce the yield
of cotton. although fully as effective
as Paris green in destroying the
worms. 1t will not blister work ami
mails and is safer to use.
The method OF applying II is to dust
II onto the cotton plants dry. from
cloth sacks suspended from a pole car
ried on horseback between the rows.
It need not be diluted with any other
substance and from two to four pounds
per acre are required. according to the
size OF the cotton.
When the powdered arsenate Of lead
is not available, and the worms are
bad, Paris green may he used in.
stead. In such case from three-fourths
to one and one-fourth pounds of the
Paris green should be used per acre,
preferably diluted with four to six
times its own bulk OF -four or very
fine airslaked lime. However, Paris
green should be used only as last
resort, as II will reduce the yield in
every case.
The application of any liquid spray
to cotton is extremely impractical, in.
volving the purchase of expensive
spraying machinery and requiring a
big outlay for labor in handling the
hundreds of tons of water necessary
to spray cotton field. Particularly
is such spraying ridiculous when the
planter can much more easily and
cheaply destroy the worms with a
busting OF dry poison.
Such poisons as London purple and
white arsenic should never be used
on cotton, as they burn the foliage
severely. Caustic soda also should
not be used on cotton, either alone
or with other things.
In rank cotton, on alluvial lands,
where the bolls are beginning to de-
cay. II is well to let the worms par.
TALLY strip the foliage so as to admit
the sunlight before poisoning them.
In sections wrere the boil weevil