﻿146 
  AGRICULTURE. 
  

  

  shin, 
  attacks 
  the 
  plant 
  in 
  its 
  early 
  stage. 
  If 
  not 
  wholly 
  

   destroyed, 
  the 
  bark 
  of 
  the 
  stem 
  becomes 
  diseased 
  and 
  

   hardened, 
  and 
  the 
  sap 
  vessels 
  dried 
  up 
  or 
  obstructed 
  

   at 
  or 
  near 
  the 
  surface 
  of 
  the 
  ground. 
  The 
  disease 
  is 
  

   most 
  prevalent 
  during 
  the 
  occurrence 
  of 
  the 
  cold 
  nights 
  

   of 
  a 
  wet 
  and 
  backward 
  spring. 
  To 
  this 
  cause 
  it 
  is 
  

   attributed, 
  and 
  may 
  be 
  owing 
  in 
  some 
  degree 
  to 
  the 
  

   plant-louse, 
  ap^s 
  pauceron, 
  which 
  prevails 
  most 
  in 
  such 
  

   seasons. 
  

  

  The 
  growth 
  of 
  the 
  young 
  plant 
  so 
  affected 
  is 
  languid 
  

   and 
  slow, 
  and 
  although 
  the 
  damaged 
  epidermis 
  may 
  be 
  

   repaired 
  and 
  overgrown 
  by 
  a 
  new 
  bark, 
  it 
  is 
  question- 
  

   able 
  whether 
  the 
  plant 
  ever 
  becomes 
  as 
  vigorous 
  or 
  pro- 
  

   lific 
  as 
  those 
  that 
  have 
  not 
  sustained 
  this 
  injury. 
  

  

  The 
  cause 
  of 
  this 
  malady 
  — 
  too 
  early 
  planting 
  — 
  sug- 
  

   gests 
  the 
  proper 
  remedy. 
  

  

  The 
  casting 
  of 
  the 
  forms 
  or 
  germs 
  of 
  the 
  bolls 
  may 
  

   perhaps 
  also 
  be 
  regarded 
  as 
  a 
  disease 
  attendant 
  on 
  a 
  

   deranged 
  circulation 
  in 
  the 
  plant, 
  owing 
  to 
  an 
  unequal 
  

   and 
  irregular 
  supply 
  of 
  moisture. 
  It 
  is 
  manifested 
  most 
  

   generally 
  upon 
  a 
  sudden 
  transition 
  from 
  a 
  very 
  dry 
  to 
  a 
  

   very 
  wet 
  season, 
  and 
  is 
  consequently 
  so 
  far 
  without 
  

   remedy 
  ; 
  it 
  is, 
  however, 
  doubtless 
  sometimes 
  occasioned 
  

   or 
  aggravated 
  by 
  injudicious 
  cultivation. 
  

  

  The 
  enemies 
  of 
  the 
  cotton 
  plant, 
  besides 
  those 
  enume- 
  

   rated, 
  are 
  chiefly 
  the 
  caterpillar 
  and 
  boll-worm.* 
  

  

  The 
  ravages 
  of 
  the 
  chenille 
  or 
  cotton 
  caterpillar 
  

   {Depressaria 
  Gossypioides) 
  has 
  long 
  been 
  known 
  in 
  other 
  

   countries. 
  It 
  prevailed 
  destructively 
  in 
  South 
  America 
  

   and 
  the 
  "West 
  Indies, 
  having 
  been 
  described 
  previous 
  to 
  

   the 
  present 
  century, 
  and 
  is 
  probably 
  coeval 
  with 
  the 
  cul- 
  

   tivation 
  of 
  the 
  cotton 
  plant. 
  In 
  1788 
  and 
  1794, 
  two- 
  

  

  * 
  See 
  Plate 
  V. 
  

  

  