24 
TRAP CROP FOR THE BOLLWORM. 
Some planters have objected to the trap-row system, which delays 
the planting of the main crop, for the reason that if delayed the crop 
will lose what has been gained over the boll weevil by a greater attack 
from bollworm later in the season; in other words, they insist upon 
getting in the whole crop as early as possible. In this connection 
attention is called to Bulletins Nos. 24 and 29 of the Division of Ento- 
mology, United States Department of Agriculture, which discuss the 
trap crops to control bollworm ravages. Briefly stated, they are about 
as follows: 
Corn, both in bud and roasting ear, is the first-choice food plant of the bollworm. 
Cowpeas rank second. It is generally conceded that no extensive or serious damage 
is done the cotton by the bollworm until about the time the corn crop matures. 
This is due to the fact that corn has gotten too hard, the stalk has ripened, and the 
female moths are compelled to go to cotton. For this reason a few trap rows of corn 
are planted, using the genuine midseason Mexican June corn. This must be planted 
late enough in the season so that it begins making roasting ears about the time the 
main crop has fully hardened. The female moth is attracted to the trap corn and 
deposits her eggs on the silk and roasting ears, and the cotton escapes. To make 
doubly sure, cowpeas are planted between the corn rows at a time to make them 
begin blooming shortly after the main crop of corn has ripened. These pea blooms 
form a great attraction for the female bollworm moths. This compels the breeding 
and feeding of the midsummer brood of bollworms on these two trap crops. The 
brood next following this is thereby thrown too late in the season to do any serious 
damage to cotton. In fact, when the bollworms are thus crowded from hundreds of 
acres of corn into a few trap rows, they become cannibals and feed upon one another 
in the overstocked roasting ears of the trap rows. For that reason, also, there need be 
no fear of a serious attack later. 
It has already been urged that early maturing varieties of cotton be 
planted, or seed from as far north as possible, so as to induce earlier 
fruitage. This gain in time of fruiting more than offsets the delay 
caused by withholding planting, on account of the trap-row system. 
The midsummer brood of bollworms being trapped, the cotton will 
suffer no greater attack from them than it would ordinarily have been 
subjected to had the home-grown seed or late-fruiting varieties been 
planted as early as possible. 
EXTERMINATION BY SPRAYING. 
There has been a great demand for remedies—poisons and_boll- 
weevil machines. The distressed planter, accustomed to the use of 
poisons and some kind of machine in his warfare upon cotton insects, 
at first seemed bent upon being satisfied with nothing less. 
SOME ERRORS IN SPRAYING. 
It should be remembered that the weevils do not eat exposed sur- 
faces of the plant, their almost invariable place of feeding being in the 
squares, safely sheltered by the involucre or shuck. Even here they 
 @* § SA oe 
