COTTON 421 



Some conception of the damage resulting from the 

 preservation of each pair of boll worm moths in the early 

 months of the year can be obtained from this. 



General Disregard of the Importance of the 

 Boll Worm, 



Scientific entomologists and those who have made a 

 study of the insect pests on cotton are convinced that 

 the cotton worm is of minor importance in comparison 

 with the boll worm; yet, although proposals have been 

 constantly invited by the Cotton Worm and Boll Worm 

 Commission for remedial measures against this pest, few 

 suggestions have been received and none have proved of 

 any practical value. All the investigations in connection 

 with this pest have been made by the Scientific Staff of 

 the Ministry of Agriculture and the members of the 

 Sub-Committee of the Commission, and nearly every 

 satisfactory proposal for remedial measures has emanated 

 from the Ministry or the Commission itself. 



Some Influences on the Activity of Boll Wowns and 

 Methods of Control Indicated. 



In connection with many lepidopterous insects it has 

 been found that the greatest activity is shown in their 

 attacks upon plants at times when the latter are not 

 exposed to bright sunlight. Very many lepidopterous 

 larvae will not feed except in positions where they are 

 protected from the direct rays of the sun, therefore in 

 most cases the depredations are done at night, in cloudy 

 weather, or in positions where the greatest amount of 

 shade is obtainable. Although demonstration of the 

 utility of the defoliation of the cotton plants as a bene- 

 ficial measure for boll worm attacks has not been made, 

 the success which is said to attend this operation in 

 connection with the boll weevil in the United States of 

 America is some assurance that a similar result might be 

 expected in the case of the Egyptian boll worm. Defolia- 

 tion is effected in Texas by attacks of a cotton worm, 

 Aletla argillacea, the advent of which is welcomed in the 

 boll weevil districts, though this defoliating cotton worm 

 is destroyed in other localities. The effect of the defolia- 

 tion is not only to kill the boll weevil larvae in the affected 



