EXPERIENCE WITH TRAP-LANTERNS. 263 



The first of these objections caniiot be urged, however, against the 

 use of trap-lanterns. As a good instance of the success of these last, 

 \ve quote the following from the monthly reports of this department for 

 1867: 



Parish of Jefferson, Louisiana. Allow me to call your attention to the destruction, of 

 the cotton crop by the -worms, which appear to increase yearly. In 1864 I planted 

 about 100 acres in cotton. In July the worms made their appearance. Having no 

 experience in raising this crop, I searched in the agricultural reports for information. 

 Mr. Glover recommended the burning of trap-lanterns, and I made three of them 

 \vith a coal-oil lamp and tin basin, with soapsuds underneath, and burned them every 

 night. The first night I caught about 75 millers and innumerable other insects. The 

 number increased to 300 millers, and then gradually diminished to none. For three 

 weeks after the crops of my neighbors were destroyed, I found only a few of my plants 

 attacked ; about the last week of the three I caught no millers, but all at once the 

 catch was 75 ; next night 150, then 300, and even up to 500. The worm, however, 

 gradually made its appearance more and more, until, in the middle of August, my 

 cotton was stripped of every leaf and bloom. The worm then turned into pupa. In 

 ten days after this the miller again appeared. Meanwhile the cotton had sprouted 

 again and was in full bloom, when the third brood made its appearance in immense 

 numbers. In three days every leaf and young boll was eaten, and the worm was 

 eating the bark of the plant and the glazed protection of the nearly matured bolls. 

 The heavy rains of September soaked into the bolls and rotted them. I made only 3 

 bales of cotton. In July the prospect was good for at least 75 bales. 



My opinion is that if every planter would commence burning a lantern in each five 

 acres, from the latter part of June to the middle of September, for a few years in suc- 

 cession, both the boll- worm and the cotton-worm would be destroyed. The boll-worm 

 destroys about one-half the crop with us. This year none of my neighbors raise cot- 

 cotton. I have planted about five acres, and shall burn one lamp, and inform the de- 

 partment of the result. Cost of lantern and basin about $1.50, and the oil will not 

 cost over $1, so that if the increase is only 10 pounds to the acre it will more than 

 pay the expense. The first night I used the lantern on a barrel, but the insects were 

 alive in the morning, and it was considerable trouble to kill them. Afterwards I used 

 the soapsuds, as it killed all the insects fit once. 



The following extract from a letter of Mr. E. A. Schwarz possesses 

 interest in this connection : 



Col. C. Lewis, of Hearne, Tex., after experimenting for a long time with more or 

 less complicated contrivances to attract by light, and at the same time to kill the cot- 

 ton-moth, concluded finally that the following simple apparatus is the most effective 

 and cheapest. As now in use, this apparatus consists of three pieces : 1st, a shallow 

 tin pan (16 by 10 inches) ; 2d, a common kerosene-lamp, with a half-inch wick, and 

 large enough to burn the whole night ; 3d, a common lantern, open below, which is 

 put over the lamp to protect it from wind and rain. The lamp is put in the middle of 

 the pan and prevented from sliding by three pieces of tin fastened on the bottom of 

 the pan. This apparatus is put on top of a post, about 6 feet high, in the field. Before 

 dark the lamps are made ready, the pans about half filled with water, and about one 

 tablespoonful of kerosene is put on the water. 



To put this kerosene on the water is the most important part, and the colonel experi- 

 mented with all sorts of chemicals alcohol, camphor, iodine, &c. without finding 

 anything which would kill the moths, which, attracted by the light of the lamp, fly 

 against the lantern and fall finally into the water. Kerosene alone proved most effec- 

 tive in killing these tooths. The lamps are left burning in dark nights the whole night 

 over, but are, of course, of but little use at full moon. In the morning the pans are 

 emptied and the lamps extinguished. Colonel Lewis believes that one lamp for each 



