OF AGRICULTURE, 75 



fly, the ichmiemon, lays an egg in the body of the 

 louse, which, hatching into a grub, devours the in- 

 side of the still living insect, until it eventually dies, 

 clinging to the leaf even in death, and the fly makes 

 its appearance from the old skin of the aphis, Hot 

 sunshine and the insects above mentioned are the 

 only remedies as yet discovered for this pest of the 

 cotton field, Dry plaster, or sulphate of lime, with 

 ashes finely ground, like flour, dusted upon the plants 

 on a damp day, would destroy many of them, and 

 perhaps coat the leaf over so as to keep others from 

 piercing it, 



THE COTTON CATERPILLAR. 



The leaves of the cotton plant are sometimes en- 

 tirely devoured by w T hat is known by the planters as 

 the " cotton caterpillar, or cotton army worm," It 

 does not appear every year in immense numbers, but 

 at uncertain intervals, The perfect insect or moth, 

 when at rest, is of a triangular' shape, the head form- 

 ing one, and the extremities of the wings the other 

 two angles, The color of the upper wings is reddish 

 gray, a dark spot with a whitish center appearing in 

 the middle of each, The under wings are of a dark 

 reddish gray, The moth of this caterpillar loses 



uch of its grayish cast when it becomes older, and 



e down has been rubbed from the wings, when it 

 assumes more of a reddish tinge, 



The natural or perfect moths are easily attracted 

 by lights, and may be found resting in the day 

 time <jn the walls or ceilings of rooms, attracted 

 there, no doubt, by the lights in the room the evening 

 before-. If not molested) they will remain motionless 



