The Bulletin. 9 



The present Bulletin is, therefore, compiled from the writer's 

 own experience in the tobacco fields of the State, together with many 

 valuable office records secured through correspondence and inquiry 

 and such information as other writers have given upon this im- 

 portant subject. 



INJURY TO TOBACCO BY INSECTS. 



Any one walking through a tobacco field, if he is at all observing, 

 cannot fail to have impressed upon his mind the enormous loss oc- 

 casioned every year by insects. Hardly a leaf can be found which is 

 not injured in some way by insect pests. Either the leaf is punctured 

 by the Flea Bug or large, irregular holes are eaten through the 

 leaf by Horn Worms or the whole top has been shattered by Bud 

 Worms. True, much of the injury is so slight that it has no effect 

 whatsoever upon the price of the leaf tobacco, but much of the tobacco 

 which ought to sell for first-class wrappers sell for a lower grade 

 because of blemishes due to insects. A conservative tobacco farmer 

 estimates that from 30 to 50 per cent of the money value of his 

 crop is annually lost through the destructive work of insects. The 

 larger part of this injury is, however, preventable, if the farmer 

 will only employ the proper methods. 



Commencing with the sowing of the seeds in the spring, successive 

 waves of insects pass over the seedbed and over the fields of grow- 

 ing tobacco. The plants that are left for seed have their pods de- 

 voured by insects, and the suckers which grow up in the field after 

 the tobacco is harvested are riddled by insects, the work of which 

 is cut short only when the plants are killed by frost. 



Insects Injuring Different Parts of the Tobacco Plant. 



The Leaves. — Leaves are, of course, the most important part of 

 the tobacco plant, and insects do the most real damage to the leaves. 

 The aim of the tobacco farmer is to grow good, first-class wrappers, 

 as this grade of tobacco brings the best price; but tobacco riddled 

 by Flea Bugs or with large holes chewed into it by Bud Worms or 

 Horn Worms must always be classed with lower and cheaper grades. 

 The number of insects injuring the tobacco leaf is large compared with 

 the numbers that injure other parts of the tobacco plant. The injury 

 caused to leaves by insects is largely due to the fact that these in- 

 sects are chewing insects and eat holes directly through the leaf. 

 The size of these holes depends upon the size of the insect and the 

 strength of its mouth parts. The holes range in size from the minute 

 holes made by Flea Bugs (page 31) to the almost complete destruc- 

 tion of the leaf by full-grown Horn Worms (page 24). Bud Worms 

 riddle the leaves before they have completely unfolded from the bud 

 (page 36). Grasshoppers (page 59), Crickets (page 56), Tree- 



