REI'OKT OF THK hlNTOMOLOGlST. ,321 



be (•onsi(l(?rod n mislbrtune ; lor it i.s doubtless largely owing- to this that 

 proper i)reparaiioiis are not made. Inllueiiced greatly by their hopes, 

 the ])lanters believe each spring that it is not going to be a "worm 

 year." The result is that already described. It would be better to make 

 unnecessary preparations than to siitier for want of proper precaution; 

 especially as, if there is no o(;casion to use the materials the season they 

 are purchased, they can be Icept without loss or damage until there is 

 occasion to use them. 



Doubtless in many cases one reason why the preliminary arrange- 

 ments are not made at the i)roper time is the tinancial depression which 

 has been so general throughout the South. Many planters find it neces- 

 sary to borrow the money Avhich is used in the cultivation of the crop, 

 and under such circumstances do not feel willing to go to the expense of 

 buying poison and machines for distributing it when there is a chance 

 that they Avill not be needed, and in any case the interest on the invest- 

 ment is to be met. Still we believe that under these circumstances the 

 loss incurred by the lying idle of capital invested in this way ought to 

 be regarded in the light of insurance. 



If the poison to be used be purchased during the winter there will be 

 time to i)rocure it directly from the manufacturers, thus saving consid- 

 erable in cost, and, what is of much more importance, an unadulterated 

 article can be olrtained. Frequently those who wait until they need 

 ])oison before buying it, and are thus forced to i^urchase of local deal- 

 ers, pay from 20 to 75 per cent, more for an inferior article than an un- 

 adulterated poison would have cost if bought directly of the manufact- 

 urer at a season when there is no great iinmediate demand for it. In a 

 similar way, in case dry poisons are to be used, doubtless many oppor- 

 tunities would occur for procuring flour at a less cost than it would be 

 necessary to pay at the time it is to be used. 



A very great saving of time may be accomplished by those who apply 

 l)oisons with water by improving the facilities for getting it. The de- 

 tails of this will vary with local conditions. We are led to speak of it 

 from our observation in the canebrake region of Alabama. Although 

 this section is one of those which has suffered most from the cotton- 

 worm, and at tlie same time one which is admirably adapted for provid- 

 ing supplies of water, little has been done in this direction. A large 

 part of this region is supplied with artesian wells which bring the water 

 several feet above the surface. Doubtless it would pay, in ma,ny <*-ases, 

 to sink wells in those parts of the plantation where water is most likely 

 to be needed for i)oisoning; at least tanks should be arranged at the ex- 

 isting wells so that barrels could be rapidly Idled in time of need. TjI'^, 

 however, is seldom done. In those sections in which cisterns are used 

 instead of wells, it would pay to make one or more cisterns in each of 

 the larger cotton-tields, aud to see that they were properly filled during 

 the rainj' season. 



We wish also to urge proMipt action in the use of poisons. We are 

 convinced that it does not pay to wait for tlu^ third crop of worms before 

 poisoning tlie cotton. The earliest brood in the spring should be de- 

 stroyed. At this season it prol.>ably would be necessary to poison only 

 the cotton growing on low lan<l. Let tbose places in which the worms 

 are known by tradition to a}>])ear first each season be early and thor- 

 oughly poisoned. The expense of this ))oisoniiig need not 1)0 great, for 

 iioi only are such ai'eas of limited extent, lait, as the ]»laiits ar(^ small, 

 Uttle ])oison Mill l>e require*!. It Avill probabl\- pay best to use dry 

 poisons early in the season, as but little tlour will be needed on each 

 21 AG 



