264 REPORT UPON COTTON INSECTS. 



5 acres is sufficient. One man can attend to 500 acres. The cost of a lamp (which is 

 manufactured by H. K. Davis & Co., Hearne, Tex.) is 50 cents, but will last, of course, 

 for many years. The cost of burning one lamp and labor amounts to 35 cents per 

 month. Colonel Lewis put his lamps out last year the 20th or 25th of June, and had 

 them in use about six weeks, with interruptions caused by clear moonlight nights. 

 Almost all the largo farmers used these lanterns last year, and it is estimated that in 

 the bottom-lands near Hearne more than 1,000 lanterns were out in 1878, which is 

 the first year in which this method of killing the millers has been tried on a large" 

 scale, and it is not possible to say anything that is definite regarding its value. There 

 has been last year no poisoning of the worms carried on whatever in this section, 

 notwithstanding the crop was a fair one about one bale per acre. 



Myriads of the cotton-moths have been killed, of course, by this method, and it ap- 

 pears certain that it proved most effectual against the ravage of the boll-worm, which 

 in 1877 did more harm here than Aletia (the cotton crop in 1877 was here a perfect 

 failure, owing to the combined ravages of Aletia and Heliothis), and which was killed 

 in great numbers by this method. Before the introduction of the method just des- 

 cribed, the large planters in the bottom-lands tried to poison the worms, but with lit- 

 tle success. 



The method described above to destroy the cotton-moth is, in my opinion, superior 

 to all similar methods and to all applications of poisons ; but the lanterns ought to be 

 lighted up at the beginning of May, if not earlier, and not toward the end of June. 



The following extract from Mr. Trelease's report give the results of his 

 observations upon this point : 



From what has been said in the earlier agricultural reports, and from the testimony 

 of planters as to the attraction of light for these moths, I had supposed that the easiest 

 and most scientific method of destroying Aletia was to employ fires into which they 

 should be attracted, or lights in combination with some form of trap, either with or 

 without the added attraction of food ; these to be used whenever the moths were fly- 

 iug, and their use enforced, if necessary, by legislation. Considering, for the above 

 reasons, that the fondness of these moths for light was proved, I made no efforts to ob- 

 tain personal demonstration of the fact ; and it was only on learning how many species 

 of moths and even of other insects may pass for Aletia with the ordinary observer, and 

 on seeing from my notes how little attention was paid to the light of my lantern, that 

 I began to doubt the efficacy of this remedy ; but this, unfortunately, was after I had 

 left the field. As it is, I can only say that the number attracted to lights, as compared 

 with the entire number, was very small, so far as my experience goes. Though I saw 

 a few dozen attracted into the house, thousands were within sight of the light and 

 removed but a few rods; while for each of those thus attracted a dozen individuals 

 belonging to other species came to the light. My own observation, then, goes to show 

 that these moths are not attracted to any great extent by lights ; but if this attraction 

 should be proven to be considerable, this would prove one of the best ways of dealing 

 with the pest. 



On the whole, the conclusion at which we arrived in regard to the 

 use of the lanterns is much the same as that which we have stated of 

 poisoned sweets. Early in the spring and late in the fall they should 

 be tried. Their use in the months between June and October will de- 

 pend upon how efficacious other remedies have been, and upon the 

 actual success of the trap used. In the seasons mentioned first the 

 planter must not be discouraged at the small proportion of cotton- 

 moths to other moths, remembering the fact, which we have so often 

 reiterated, of the immense economic importance of every hibernating 



