THE FORAGE AND FIBER CROPS IN AMERICA 



pounds of seed cotton, but may vary from thirty-five to sixty 

 cents, and in some instances to one dollar per hundredweight. 

 Since it takes about 1,500 pounds of seed cotton to each bale of 

 500 pounds, the cost of picking per bale is about six dollars. 

 Two large items of expense in cotton culture are the picking 

 and the chopping out, for both of which it is difficult to substi- 

 tute machinery for hand labor. 



The number of pickings will vary somewhat with the condi- 

 tions, but perhaps four pickings are the most common number. 

 The first picking usually occurs in the latter part of August 

 and the last picking in the fore part of November. The largest 

 yield and best quality of lint are obtained at the second pick- 

 ing, and the least at the fourth picking. In general, about half 

 the yield of seed cotton is obtained at the second picking. 



II. Insects 



453. Insects. There have been enumerated 465 species of in- 

 sects which feed upon the cotton plant. 1 Of these the following 

 are the most destructive: 



1. The Mexican cotton-boll weevil (Anthonomus grandis Boh.). 



2. The cotton bollworm (Heliothis armiger Hiibn.). 



3. The cotton worm or cotton caterpillar (Aletia argillacea Hiibn.). 



4. Cutworms (Noctuidae). 



The Mexican cotton-boll weevil and the cotton worm are not 

 known to feed upon any other plant than cotton. The cotton 

 bollworm is the same species as the corn ear worm which attacks 

 maize, tomatoes and many other crops. (C. A. 335) In the 

 south, where it is about five brooded, the first three broods usu- 

 ally feed upon maize and the last two upon cotton. The Mexican 

 cotton-boll weevil is a beetle, the others are moths. All are in- 

 jurious in the larval state. 



1 L. O. Howard: Insects Affecting the Cotton Plant: Farmers' T.ul. No. 47, 

 p. 31. 



