COTTON 185 



threatening the crop, some heroic treatment is neces- 

 sary. This seems to be found in the use of 

 Paris green sprinkled on the cotton plant. 



A rather ingenious method is in vogue for doing 

 this work: two sacks, made of heavy cloth, 10 

 inches long and 4 inches wide, with both ends sewed, 

 are tacked to the ends of a strip of wood 1 J inches 

 by 2 inches and 5 feet long. The open sides of the 

 bags are tacked to each of the sides of the strip of 

 wood. A hole is now made in the end of the strip, 

 and through this Paris green is poured by means of 

 a funnel, and distributed by riding on horseback 

 between the cotton rows, dusting two rows at a 

 time. A slight jarring of the wood strip will cause 

 the poison to pass through the sacks to the cotton 

 plants below. With such equipment one man and 

 one horse will dust from 15 to 20 acres daily. 



III. THE COTTON BOLL WORM 



You have very likely seen this insect in some of 

 its forms; maybe not in connection with cotton, 

 for it is known in many parts of the world, but per- 

 haps feeding on some plant such as corn, peas, 

 beans, pumpkins, or squash. Its food range does 

 not stop even here, but includes even the tobacco 

 plant, and its fastidious palate often selects many 

 of the garden plants such as the geranium and 

 gladiolus, and even wild plants also. 



THE CYCLE OF ITS LIFE 



The egg is usually laid on the underside of the 

 cotton leaf, but is often seen on other parts as well. 

 You will recognize it by its whitish color, although 

 inclined to a yellowish tint, is nearly round in shape, 



