promiscnousl}" over the plants. This habit of promiscuous ovipo- 

 sition, especially on the cotton plant, renders it possible, during 

 periods of severe boUworni injur}', to employ arsenical poisons for 

 the destruction of voung- larva before they are of sufficient size to 

 attack squares and bolls. ^ 



The number of generations annually produced bj^ the bollworm in 

 tlie cotton belt varies from about i to 7, depending on the latitude, 

 with an average of about 5. In the latitude of Paris, Tex., there 

 appear to be but 4-; at Victoria, Tex., there are apparently 0. The 

 irregularity in time of appearance of moths in the spring and other 

 causes soon produce a confusion of generations, so that these are 

 rarely well marked. 



In general, moths issue from hibernating pupse in the spring, in 

 an}' locality in the cotton belt, at a time when most of the field corn is 

 from 10 to 20 inches high. B3' far the larger part of the eggs of 

 these moths is placed on young field corn. A small part is placed on 

 other plants, as garden vegetables, roses, etc. The larvfe resulting 

 from eggs laid on field corn attack the tender central roll of leaves, 

 soon riddling it, and are on this account termed bud- worms. In the 

 latitude of Paris, Tex., moths of the second generation appear as field 

 corn is coming into tassel and silk. These portions of the plant are 

 freely oviposited on, and the second generation of bollworms largel}' 

 infests the same parts, especially of roasting ears, in which infestation 

 ma}'^ reach as high as DO to 100 per cent of the ears. B3' the time the 

 moths of the next generation arc out, field corn has begun to yellow 

 and ripen and is no longer attractive to the moths for oviposition pur- 

 poses; hence these go to cotton, from which they secure nectar as 

 food and on which most of their eggs are deposited. Cotton is not 

 attacked in force by bollworms until the corn of the localit}' has 

 begun to ripen, which time will average about the first of August. 

 The third generation of bollworms is the one most destructive to 

 cotton. The fourth generation, also, infests cotton during September, 

 but owing to the attack of parasites, and frequentlj^ to unfavorable 

 weather conditions, injurj' is rarely of serious proportions. 



Larvfe of this generation, on completing their growth, enter the soil 

 and transform to pupae, in which condition the majority remain dui'ing 

 the winter. A few may develop moths, and there are thus some 

 bollworms to be found on cotton quite up to frost. 



FARM PRACTICE IN RELATION TO BOLLWORM INJURY. 



At the present time in the United States injury to cotton from the 

 bollworm assumes its greatest importance in Texas, Louisiana, Mis- 

 sissippi, Indian Territor}', Oklahoma, and Arkansas. The rapid 

 increase in cotton acreage during the past ten or twenty years in the 

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