COTTON. 403 



planters to avail themselves of every improvement and facility within their power for the 

 cultivation of this valuable product. 



Enemies and Diseases of the Cotton Plant. The enemies of the cotton plant are 

 numerous and often very destructive. The cut-worm is generally the first to make an attack, 

 sometimes eating off the tender shoots just after making their appearance from the soil. A 

 top-dressing of wood ashes, or plaster mixed with the earth around the roots, will sometimes 

 check the evil. It is noticeable that where commercial fertilizers are used in the soil, this 

 pest is less common. 



Aphides, or Cotton-Lice, are sometimes very damaging to the crop, as they attack the 

 plant in the early stages of its growth, sucking the juices from the tender stalks and 

 leaves, causing them to turn yellow and drop off. These insects are very small, but at the 

 same time are very prolific, and when numerous are quite damaging to the crop. They are 

 generally most troublesome when the spring has been wet and cold. 



They have many enemies that prey upon them, among which the most important are the 

 ants and birds. Paris green is often used with good effect, both in powder and dissolved in 

 water, as recommended in a previous part of this work for the potato-beetle. Great care 

 should be exercised in its use, as it is a deadly poison. It is a fact worthy of notice that all 

 insect pests are less troublesome in localities where birds are numerous, and their presence 

 should always be encouraged. 



The Caterpillar, or Cotton- Worm. This pest is sometimes called the &quot;cotton- 

 caterpillar,&quot; but is more generally termed the &quot;cotton- worm,&quot; in contradistinction to the 

 &quot;boll-worm.&quot; It is one of the most destructive enemies of the cotton crop with which the 

 planter has to contend. It is stated that in the year 1873, this caterpillar, or worm, caused 

 by its depredations an estimated damage of about twenty millions of dollars, in the course of 

 two weeks. According to the best authority, it is indigenous to South America, and is an 

 introduced insect in the United States. The first appearance of it in this country, now on 

 record, was in 1793. This period was followed by an extremely disastrous invasion in 1804, 

 and from that time until the present, there has never been a season in which the cotton worm 

 has not done more or less damage to the cotton product in some portions of the Southern 

 States. 



The worm is hatched from an egg deposited by the female moth. The four states or 

 stages of its development are given as follows by Prof. C. V. Riley, and will enable any one 

 unacquainted with any or all of them to recognize the species in any phase of its growth, and 

 to distinguish it from other insects; besides, a correct knowledge of its habits will enable the 

 planter to better defend his crop against its depredations. 



&quot; The Egg. In this stage of its existence, the cotton-worm is known to but few people, 

 both its color and size shielding it from observation. Every planter should, however, not 

 only become familiar with its appearance, but know just where to look for it. &quot;With this 

 knowledge, time may be gained, the loss of which in the application of remedies may result 

 disastrously. 



The egg is 0.6 mm. wide, circular, much flattened and ribbed. Of bright bluish -green 

 or sea-green when first laid, it contrasts sufficiently with the warmer green of the leaf to be 

 easily detected, even by the naked eye, when practiced. It is laid singly, and fastened with 

 such firmness as not to be easily removed without injury. It is laid by preference during 

 early summer on the under side of the larger and lower leaves, and seldom more than three 

 or four are found on one leaf. 



In confinement, and exceptionally in nature, it will be laid on the upper surface of the 

 leaf, or on any other exposed part of the plant. In autumn, more particularly, the upper 

 leaves receive a due share of the eggs, and I have counted as many as forty-nine eggs and 



