216 EEPORT UPON COTTON INSECTS. 



as well as if it stood alone, the lack of sufficient nutriment checking 

 their growth only late in summer. Their argument is, it is better to get 

 an early crop on three plants than to rely on an early and middle crop 

 on one plant, when the top crop is likely to be destroyed by the worms. 

 Though it is an error to suppose that it is only late in the season that 

 these plants suffer from an insufficient supply of food, yet I am inclined 

 to believe that on the lands where no fertilizer is used this is a good 

 practice. 



Another expedient is the selection of a variety of cotton that the 

 worms will not eat ; and it is possible that such a variety may some 

 day be produced. Small quantities of a variety known as worm and 

 nest proof are grown on several plantations not far from Elm Bluff, Ala., 

 and I had the opportunity of examining some of the plants early in 

 September. They were growing on dry, rather poor soil, were of some- 

 thing less than the average size, but quite prolific. The green parts of 

 the plant were deeply tinged with red, and this color was quite noticea- 

 ble in the corolla. On this cotton I found living Aletia eggs, as well as 

 spots where small caterpillars had eaten transparent places in the 

 leaves, and quite large holes eaten through the leaf by large ones. No 

 worms were found on the plant, having probably been removed by either 

 ants or chickens, for the cotton was growing in a door-yard garden. 



With a view to rendering the cotton distasteful to the caterpillar, if 

 possible, quassia chips were steeped and soaked in water for about a 

 week and a half, one pound of chips being used for each gallon of water. 

 This decoction was then diluted, from a pint to a quart of it being added 

 to each bucketful of water (2 gallons), and applied with a fountain 

 pump to infested cotton, so that every leaf was thoroughly wet. In this 

 form the infusion was intensely bitter and imparted a strong taste to 

 the cotton leaves after the water had evaporated ; but though several 

 applications were made I could not see that it interfered with the feed- 

 ing of the worms. 



What I have called remedies may be conveniently divided into two 

 classes, natural and artificial ; and these may be further subdivided as 

 shown in the following table : 

 LKatoralremediea 



1. Poisoned baits. 



c. For moths 2. Lights and fires. 



II. Artificial remedies . \ 



d. For larvae ^2. Crashing by machines. 



( 3. Prisoning. 



By natural remedies I wish to indicate the breeding and protection 

 of all natural enemies of the species, whatever their nature. Those be- 

 longing to the animal kingdom may be found specified in that part of 

 my report relating to the natural enemies of Aletia. In addition to 

 those mentioned there might be included all insectivorous birds. The 



