COTTON CULTURE. 93 



his march. He is much longer lived than the caterpillar, 

 and can travel much faster, overcoming greater obstacles 

 in his path. He resembles the cotton worm in coming 

 from the South northward, and in the countless myriads 

 with which he invades a crop. 



The Army-worm is not so subtle or difficult an enemy 

 as the former. The force advances by regular marches 

 from one field to anottier, and does not send out breeders 

 in the form of a moth to deposit eggs throughout a field. 

 The planter may hear of his advance from afar, and have 

 a number of days or weeks to prepare a suitable reception 

 for the enemy. 



The most effective obstacle that can be interposed in the 

 path of the Army-worm is a clean cut ditch, of moderate 

 depth, but with smooth, perpendicular faces. As a precau- 

 tionary measure, many planters cut such a ditch all around 

 their place, or at least on the southern and western expo- 

 sure. But the washing of winter rains and the growth 

 of weeds and bushes will remove the earth from the sides, 

 or bridge over the ditch so as to make it useless without 

 prompt working. Whenever there is any likelihood that 

 a plantation lies in the path of such an army, let the plows 

 be started on the side of the field in the direction of the 

 enemy, and throw out a wide furrow from the field. The 

 plow should go two or three times over the same ground, 

 and be followed by hoes and spades, cutting down the 

 ditch a foot or eighteen! inches deep, care being exercised 

 to make at least the inner wall or face quite perpendicular 

 and smooth. It will sometimes happen that the southern 

 or western extremity of a field is invaded before the 

 farmer or planter has had sufficient warning to make 

 ready for them. In that case let him take a lesson of de- 

 cisive fire engineers, when laboring to stay a conflagration, 

 which is spreading before the wind in a populous city. 



With a proper estimate of the rate of advance of the 

 enormous horde, let him select a path, and send a force to 



