COTTOM-BOLL ROT. 



A New Bacterial Disease of Cotton Affecting the 

 Seeds, Lint and Bolls. 



BY J. M. STEDMAN. 



Duriug the middle of Augiist, 1893, I received from the 

 Department of Agriculture, Montgomery, Ala., some sam- 

 ples of cotton-bolls supposed to be suffering from the attack 

 of insects. The cotton-bolls were accompanied by a note 

 stating that they had been received from Mr. A. W. Bryant, 

 Stockton, Baldwin county, Alabama, and asked for the name 

 and habits of the insect affecting them, and for the reme- 

 dies to be used to combat or destroj^ the same. On the 13th 

 of September, I receii^ed a box of diseased cotton-bolls from 

 Mr. W. A Bryant himself. 



A short examination of the bolls and of the numerous 

 insects in them was sufficient to convince me of the fact that 

 the insects were not the direct cause of the disease, but that 

 on the contrary, they were present in order to eat of the 

 already dead and decaying vegetable matter. The insects 

 were Coleoptera (beetles) of the family Nitidulidse (Sap- 

 suckers), and were present in all stages of development. 

 The larvte, one of which is represented in figure 7, and the 

 adult beetles, represented in figure 5 and 6, were very nu- 

 merous, while their pup;© w^ere not uncommon. The larvae 

 are about one-fourth of an inch in length and are nearly 

 white in color. Figure 7 represents one magnified about 

 five diameters. 



A closer examination revealed the presence of two species 

 of adult beetles both of which are about one-eighth of an 

 inch long. Figure 5 represents one of these sap-beetles, 

 Fpuroea cestiva, magnified six diameters, while figure 6 shows 



