CHAPTER VIII 



SOME COTTON DISEASES AND INSECT PESTS WITH 

 SUGGESTIONS FOR THEIR CONTROL 



THE cotton plant is subject to more dis- 

 eases and insect enemies than any of 

 the farm crops of the South. This is 

 to some extent due to the delicate nature of 

 the plant in its early life. It is also partly due 

 to the fact that cotton has been forced to adapt 

 itself to more or less artificial conditions; it is 

 naturally a tropical plant. While cotton has 

 its origin in tropical climates, it is very largely 

 grown commercially in semi-tropical countries, 

 and under entirely changed conditions. It is 

 probably better for the average cotton producer 

 that the cotton plant has its enemies, for with 

 nothing to check its growth and production 

 the supply would be largely in excess of demand. 

 Anthracnose or Pink Boll Rot. This is a 

 fungus which causes the bolls to rot and is more 

 or less prevalent in all parts of the cotton 



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