326 REPORT OF THE COMMISSIOHER OF AGRICULTURE. 



worlvSj passlug to the liul) of tlio cart-wheel, from ^v]ucll it receives uiotiou, and thus 

 cauKcs the. bbai't B to revolve -when tlu; eart in ia uioliou, and the shall, carrying the 

 perforated cylindcr.s, i>rcvioiisly tilled with the iiowdered ])oi5ou, causes the poison to 

 he sifted out aud diytrihntcd over the cotton plants. Attached to the inner end of 

 each, of the outside cylinders is a spiral spring, h, coiled around the shaft A, and so 

 arranged as to secure an easy, gentle, lateral motion to the cylinders in case of a sud- 

 den jar given to the machine, and thus prevent too great a clisehargc of the jjoisou at 

 any one point. 



it is evidcjrfc that a similar spring may he used at the opposite end of the cylinders, 

 so us to check the jar in Loth directions. 



From the above description of t!ie invention,, it is evident that it could be afiixed 

 to any kind of frame moving on Avheels, and by a hand-crank and ordinary cog-gear- 

 ing be successfully worked. — [Patent No. 154651, dated September 7, 1874.] 



Many otlier uiacliiues liaA'o been invented for tlie distri]jution of 

 poisons, l)otIi AYct and dry. Wq, figured and described several of tliein 

 in onr special ix'port. But as tliey have not to our knowledge been 

 tlioroughly tested as yet, wo cannot in our limited space reproduce the 

 figures and descriptions here. 



Destruction of larvae by machinery. — Two machines have been 

 invented and patented for the purjioso of brushing the worms from the 

 cotton plant and destroying them. Both of these machines arc figured 

 in the special report (pp. 253-235) ; ueitlier, so far as I have been able to 

 ascertain, have come into general use. It is doubtful if a practical 

 machine of this kind can be constructed, owing to the danger of knock- 

 ing off the bolls of cotton when in operation. 



Destruction of pupae. — Although tlie collection and destruction 

 of the iiupae of Aleiia at the season during which the greatest damage 

 is done would be impracticable, much good could be accomidished in 

 this way if attempted at the proper time. Ea.rly in the season, while 

 the cotton plants are small, it is an easy matter to detect the presence 

 of pupae by searching for the folded leaves containing them. As al- 

 ready suggested, when treating of the collection of larvae by hand, it 

 doubtless would be profitable to oft'er the negroes a x^rize for each pupa 

 obtained at this time. The folded leaves are so easily observed that 

 with little care nearlj^ every pupa in a field could be collected while 

 chopping out the cotton in the spring. In the autumn many pupae 

 could be destroyed by collecting together and burniDg the weeds in the 

 leaves of which the larvae have webbed up. This should be done as 

 soon as possible after the last brood webs up, and before the moths 

 emerge froui the pupae state. 



Destruction of moths. — Tlie two most successful methods of de- 

 stroying the moths that have been used are the placing of sweetened 

 lioisoned solutions about the cotton fields and the use of fires or lanterns 

 so arranged that the moths can fly into the blaze, or so that they can be 

 destrojed in some other way. 



{a.) poisoned sv/eets. 



We have already shown how the moth of the cotton- worm is attracted 

 to sweets, as the nectar of various plants, ripe ami decaying fruits, and 

 this proclivity very naturally suggests the use of poisoned baits. Years 

 ago this Avas ])racticed very much more extensiN'ely than at the present 

 day. Mr. Glover long recommended this remedy in the Dejiartment of 

 Agriculture Beports,"his first mention of it being a detailed account of 

 the phenouienal success of Col. B. A. Sorsby, in the report for 1S55. 

 The old files of the Southern agricultural papers contain frequent men- 

 tion of the use of the method. One of the most remarkable statements 

 was contai:u-,l u\ tlie Southern Cultivator (Vol. VJII, p. 132) to the effect 



