KEPOKT OF THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 323 



poisons in this way, that where water is easily obtained, with one fount- 

 ain-puuip and eight hands (three of wliom may be Avomen) 25 acres of 

 cotton may be poisoned in one day. Tiie eight hands are di:>tributed as 

 follows : One ^vorks the pnmp ; one carries the bucket from which the 

 poison is pumped; three supply fiiis one with the mixture; three are 

 with the wagon getting water and mixing the poison. 



Although tiie plan just described is the one most generally used, we 

 think that adopted by Mr. Trelease during tlie present season is prefer- 

 able, requiring as it does fewer hands. This method is illustrated in 

 Plate XV. 



A 40-gallon barrel containing the mixture is placed on an (»dinary 

 four-wheeled wagon, the wheels being 5 feet apart, and the lowest axle 

 23 inches from the ground. The wagon is drawn by two mules, these 

 walking" in the furrows on either side of the row of cottou over which 

 the v*agon passes. One hand drives the team and two others provided 

 with fountain-pumps distribute the poison from the barrel. In this way 

 nine rows of cotton are poisoned each trij) across the field. In ordinary 

 cases one or two other hands with a team can keep these sui)plied with 

 water. By this method poison can be applied very rar)idly and with a 

 minimum number of hands. The experiments show that the cotton was 

 not seriously injured by the team or wagon, although much of it was as 

 high as tlie top of the wagon-box, and there was none that was not 

 bent as the axle passed over it. Certainly the time and labor saved will, 

 except in cases ^^'here the cotton is A'ery high and closely interlocked 

 between the rows, more than pay for the iujurj- done to the cotton. I 

 suggest the following improvement to the apparatus used this season : 

 Have a cover fitted to the barrel to prevent the spilling- of the poison. 

 This cover should have three holes ; one for a dasher (similar to that 

 used in churns) for agitating the mixture ; the two other holes to admit 

 tlie hose of the pumjis. The dasher may be worked by a boy or the men 

 with the i)uraps. 



Although the method above described is the most practicable yet 

 devised, we feel that it can be improved upon. Our observations con- 

 vince us that the thing most needed is a machine which can be drawn 

 by one or two horses and which will throw a spray of water on the under 

 side of the leaves. 



The present modes of poisoning- are defective in that they require a 

 large force of hands, often when there is much other work to be done; 

 and what is a much more serious nuitter, as the poison is applied to the 

 upper .side of the leaves of the plant, the young- larvae jire not killed 

 until they are large enough to eat through the leaves. This would be 

 of less importance could the poison be made to adhere to the leaves; 

 but it often happens that the mixtures are washed off the plants by 

 rain.s soon after being applied, while if they were ai)plied to the lower 

 siu-facc of the leaves all larvae feeding at this time would be i)oisoned, 

 besides there being less liability of the poison being washed fi-om the 

 plants. 



A machine intended to meet these requirements has been invented by 

 ?^Ir. W. T. Daughtry, of 8elma, Ala. This consists of a large cylin- 

 drical reservoir mounted upon wheels and provided with an agitator for 

 licoping tlic com])ounds well mixed. F(mH'-])umi)s, wisich are \Tork(Ml 

 by gearing atiaclicd to tlie hub oC one wlieel, force air into the re.scr- 

 voii-; tlie pu'-ssure obtained in this way forces streams oi llaid tiu'ough 

 1 lie (list i-ilniting pipes; each ]i!pe exteiids neai-U' to the ground and is 

 l)ent upward at the end, whicU is furnished with a peculiar nozzle; in 

 this way a tine spray can be thrown upon the lower surface of ih(i 



