PREPARATIONS FOR POISONING. 237 



injuring the crop so badly that it is evident that something must be done 

 at once to save it. The result is that while the planter is engaged in the 

 preliminary work which should have been done months before, the crop 

 is destroyed. 



The following remark was made to me in almost the same words by 

 the majority of the planters with whom I talked upon the subject : " The 

 trouble about poisoning is, a man may have a large field, the worms ap- 

 pear in it, and in three or four days the crop is destroyed before the 

 poison can be applied." Another expression which I often heard, and 

 which is equally suggestive of a lack of appreciation of the proper way 

 in which to contend against this insect, is the following : "The first and 

 second crops of worms do no harm; it is not worth while to poison them ; 

 it is the third crop that does the injury." 



The cotton- worm will continue to be a scourge until all who raise cot- 

 ton, except perhaps those in the northern portions of the cotton belt, 

 incorporate in their estimate of the cost of producing a crop the expense 

 of poisoning the worms. The fact that in almost every section there 

 are seasons during which the worms injure the cotton but little can al- 

 most be considered a misfortune; for it is doubtless largely owing to 

 this that proper preparations are not made. Influenced greatly by their 

 hopes, the planters believe each spring that it is not going to be a " worm 

 year." The result is that already described. It would be better to make 

 unnecessary preparations than to suffer for want of proper precaution; 

 especially as, if there is no occasion to use the materials the season they 

 arc purchased, they can be kept without loss or damage until there is 

 occasion to use them. 



Doubtless in many cases one reason why the preliminary arrange- 

 ments are not made at the proper time is the financial depression which 

 has been so general throughout the South. Many planters find it neces- 

 sary to borrow the money which is used in the cultivation of the crop, and 

 under such circumstances do not feel willing to go to the expense of 

 buying poison and machines for distributing it when there is a chance 

 that they will not be needed, and in any case the interest on the invest- 

 ment is to be met. Still we believe that under these circumstances the 

 loss incurred by the laying idle of capital invested in this way ought to 

 be regarded in the light of insurance. 



If the poison to be used be purchased during the winter, there will be 

 time to procure it directly from the manufacturers, thus saving consid- 

 erable in cost, and, what is of much more importance, an unadulterated 

 article can be obtained. Frequently those who wait until they need 

 poison before buying it, and are thus forced to purchase of local dealers, 

 pay from 20 to 75 per cent, more for an inferior article than an unadul- 

 terated poison would have cost if bought directly of the manufacturer 

 at a season when there is no great immediate demand for it. In a simi- 

 lar way, in case dry poisons are to be used, doubtless many opportunities 

 would occur for procuring flour at a less cost than it would be necessary 

 to pay at the time it is to be used. 



