The Tupelo journal., 1917-08-31
THE COTTON WORM.
By R. W. Harmed.

The cotton worm alabama argyll
lacea) known to many farmers as
the cotton army worm or leaf cat
erpillar has appeared in small num-
bers at several places in other South
ern States. No one can tell whether
or not these insects will reach Missis-
sippi in large enough numbers to
be injurious this year. 1t will, how
ever, pay all people who r raising
cotton to be constantly on the look
out for them. It will also be good
insurance for cotton growers to have
on hand a supply of Paris green or
powdered ~arsenate of lead to be used
if needed. All persons are urged to
be on the lookout for the worms and
any suspicious looking insects that
are found should be mailed imme-
diately to the Entomologist, Agri-
cultural College, Mississippi, for de-
termination.
In fields where boil weevils are
numerous. when the cotton worms
reach them, we do not advise any
treatment. In fact, under these con-
ditions, the cotton worms may be
considered beneficial. If the boil
weevils are numerous practically all
of the squares that are produced will
be destroyed anyhow and nothing
can be gained by poisoning the
worms. If they are allowed to go
ahead and eat the leaves and squares
the bolls they have formed will open
rapidly. The weevils will thus be
greatly reduced in numbers by star
walton and there will be no squares
in which the last generation of wee
wills in the fall can mature. There
fore if weevils are abundant do not
use poison against the cotton worms.
If no weevils are present or they
have not become numerous poison
should be used against the worms.
1t is not advisable to use the poison
until the worms are actually at work.
Then, no time should be lost. Ev-
cry acre should be thoroughly pois-
oned just as fast as possible. The
fields where the worms appear most
numerous should be treated first,
but all cotton fields should be given
a dose of the poison. There is alb
solutely no doubt but that it pays to
,-.o ~o,,o ,moi,,.f tho or.y c, q c lnnn
as the boil weevils are not numer-
Gus.
Poison to Use.
Prepared a~rsenate of lead is to
be recommended most highly because
it is less likely to injure the foliage
and adheres to the leaves better than
other poisons that may be used.
Powdered arsenate of lead should be
applied at the rate of about n
pound per acre for each foot of
growth that the cotton has made.
If the cotton is three feet high use
three pounds to the acre.
If Paris green is used it should be
thoroughly mixed with equal parts
of fine air-slaked lime and flour.
The lime is used to prevent the fol
iage from being burned by the Paris
green and the -four to make the mix
ture adhere to the leaves. One
pound per acre of this mixture
should be used for each foot of
growth of the cotton. That is
about one pound of Paris green per
acre when the cotton is three feet
high.
How to Apply the Poison.
The poison is applied by means of
sacks attached to each end Of a pole
that is carried on horse back. BY
this means a farm hand can poison
two rows at a time, and ought to
cover between ten and twenty acres
a day. We have heard of thirty
acres a day being poisoned per
man. The apparatus is very simple.
A strip of hardwood, three inches in
width and one inch thick and one
foot longer than the width between
the cotton rows, should be obtained.
Six inches from each end a one-inch
hole should be bored. Cloth sacks
measuring about twenty inches by
six inches which open lengthwise
should be tackled firmly to the ends
of the pole forming bags that can
be filed with poison through the
auger holes by the aid of a funnel.
These holes should be closed with
shoppers to prevent the poison from
being wasted. Several kinds Of cloth
have been used for these bags: old
flour sacks will do very well eight
ounce duck or similar material will
answer the purpose; a very satisfac-
tory bag can also be made of two or