37 



Table IV. — Injury to cotton by hollworm and other causes. 



Date. 



Place. 



Number 

 of good 



Number 



of squares 



injured 



Number 



of squares 



injured 



squares. 



by boll- 

 worm. 



other 

 causes. 



168 



1 



331 



472 



3 



25 



483 

 411 





17 

 52 



37 



454 



26 



20 



489 



6 



5 



446 



23 



31 



444 



21 



35 



342 



91 



67 



3,709 



208 



583 



Remarks. 



July 14 



July 16 

 July 20 

 July 24 

 July 25 

 July 27 

 Aug. 4 

 Aug. 5 

 Aug. 6 



Wharton, Tex 



Morgan, Tex 



Comanche, Tex 



Groesbeck, Tex., field No. 1 . 

 Groesbeck, Tex., field No. 2 . 



Gilmer, Tex 



Mineola, Tex., field No. 1 ... 

 Mineola, Tex., field No. 2 ... 

 Providence, Tex 



Largely injured by boll 

 weevil. 



Some injured by weevil. 



Total 



Average per cent injured by bollworm 4. ( 



Average per cent injured from other causes 12. ! 



EARLIER INVESTIGATIONS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF 

 AGRICULTURE. 



The investigation of the cotton bollworm was one of the first ento- 

 mological problems undertaken by the Federal Government. With 

 the appointment of Townend Glover as entomologist to the division of 

 agriculture of the Patent Ofiice on June 14, 1854, an investigation of 

 the insects injurious to the cotton plant was immediately begun. In 

 September of that year Mr. Glover visited plantations near Columbia, 

 S. C, and made many interesting and important observations on the 

 bollworm, as well as on other cotton insects. Many points in the life 

 history and habits of this insect were determined, and at this early 

 date the striking similarity between the bollworm and corn-ear worm 

 was pointed out. But it should be here noted that their identity had 

 been practically accepted by Mr. J. W. Boddie, of Jackson, Miss., in 

 July, 1850, as a result of his own observations. A brief report on the 

 bollworm was made by Mr. Glover in the Patent Office Report for 1854, 

 pages 60 and 64. The same insect is also treated under the caption 

 of "The Corn Worm," on page 69 of this report, many of the essen- 

 tial points in regard to its habits and injuries t6 this plant being set 

 forth. As bearing on the control of the bollworm on cotton at this time, 

 Mr. Glover states that, according to Mr. B. A. Sorsby, of Columbia, 

 S. C, when the corn on two or three plantations was carefully 

 '' wormed," the bollworms did not make their appearance that season 

 on cotton, although on neighboring plantations great injury was 

 inflicted. Mention is made of a recommendation to light fires in vari- 

 ous parts of the plantation at the time when the first moths make their 

 appearance, and the statement is made that the moths are attracted to 

 lights and will be killed in great numbers. Successful experiments in 

 killing moths by attracting them to a mixture of vinegar and molasses 

 are reported as made by Colonel Sorsb}^ a year or two previous. 



