HOW INSECTS AFFECT THE COTTON PLANT. 5 



planter should ask advice from his State experiment station or the 

 county demonstration agent. 



In view of the necessity ior an early crop, it is obvious that any- 

 thmg which retards the growth of the seedlhig cotton, or injures the 

 stand so as to necessitate a replanting, is a serious drawback. 



CUTWORMS. 



The stand of cotton frequently is injured very seriously by cut- 

 worms (figs. 1, 2), of which there are numerous species. These 

 "worms'' are from one-half to an inch in length and of a dirty color. 



Fig.l.— Varigated cutworm {Periiroma margaritosa): a, Moth; b, normal form of caterpiller, side view; 

 c, same in curved position; d, dark form, view of back; e, greatly enlarged egg, seen from side; /, egg mass 

 on twig. (Howard.) 



They hide in the ground in the daytime and come out at night to do 

 their work, which consists in cutting the stem in two or feeding on 

 the leaves. The same kind of work is sometimes done early hi the 

 season by the nearly related southern grass worm,' but this species 

 rarely attacks the plant until later. 



The use of a poisoned bait is advisable if cutworms are nunuTous. 

 This may be prepared as follows : Mix 50 pounds of wheat bran and 

 2 pounds of Paris green. Then bring the whole mixture to the con- 

 sistency of a stiff dough by the addition of a low-grade molasses, 

 such as is used in cattle rations, adding water when necessary. Dis- 

 tribute this bait over the infested field in small lumps. In case bran 

 can not be obtained readily, middlings or alfalfa meal may be sub- 

 stituted. In fields known to be infested the distribution of this bait 



I iMphygmafrugiperda S. and A. 



