136 FIELD CROPS FOR THE COTTON-BELT 



In other cases it will eat its way through the boll and im- 

 mediately attack another. In this way one boll-worm 

 often destroys a number of bolls. 



164. Means of control. As previously stated, the 

 cotton boll-worm prefers corn to cotton as a food plant. 

 For this reason the cotton fields are invaded only after 

 the corn has become sufficiently mature to render it an 

 unsuitable food plant. This usually occurs about August 

 1st. Any cultural method, therefore, which tends to 

 hasten the maturity of the cotton crop will serve to evade 

 injury from the boll-worm. The most important cultural 

 methods for accomplishing this result are: (1) Early plant- 

 ing in^the spring; (2) The planting of early maturing 

 varieties; (3) The proper use of fertilizers; (4) Early, fre- 

 quent and thorough cultivation. As the insect passes 

 the winter in the pupal stage in the soil, thorough fall 

 or winter plowing will destroy a large percentage of the 

 pupae by exposing them to weather and birds. 



Dusting the cotton plants with powered arsenate of 

 lead in the latter part of July and the first of August, at 

 which time many of the young larvae are feeding upon 

 the tender parts of the plants, has been found very effect- 

 ive. In applying the poison the operator rides between 

 the rows of cotton, carrying in front of him a pole to each 

 end of which is fastened a bag of poison. He shakes the 

 dust out as he goes, poisoning from 15 to 20 acres in a 

 day. The bags are made of closely woven flour-bag cloth or 

 unbleached sheeting. This method is effective against prac- 

 tically all insects that devour the foliage, bolls, or squares. 



Corn planted sufficiently late in the season to reach 

 the silking stage during the latter part of July and the 

 first of August serves as a trap crop for the boll-worms, 

 as they prefer the corn to cotton. 



