39 



Agriculture. The results of the investigation of the United States 

 Entomological Commission on cotton insects are contained in the Fourth 

 Report of this Commission, by Prof. C. Y. Riley, a volume of about 600 

 pages, of which 29 are devoted to the boUworm. While the report 

 referred to was issued in 1885, the work of the Commission was prac- 

 tical 1}^ completed in 1881. 



From these reports much was gained in knowledge of the injuries, 

 life history, and habits of this pest, and sound remedial measures are 

 suggested. The character and scope of the work ma}^ be best indi- 

 cated by the presentation of the topics discussed in the report of Pro- 

 fessor Comstock: 



The hollworm: Importance of the subject; Natural history; Nomenclature; Geo- 

 graphical distribution; Food plants; The egg; The larva; The chrysalis; The moth; 

 The numher of eggs; Influence of weather. Remedies: Natural remedies; Artificial 

 remedies; Topping; Poisoning; Handpicking; Destruction of the chrysalids; Destruc- 

 tion of the moth. 



The principal points presented in this report are the wide geograph- 

 ical distribution of the boUworm moth; the practically omnivorous 

 habits of the larvae; the determination of the fact that the eggs of the 

 bollworm are distributed quite generally over the plant, as foliage, 

 stalk, square, and flower, and the feeding of thB young larv^ on more 

 or less exposed portions of the plant near the place of their birth ; the 

 hibernation of the pup^e in the soil; habits of the parent moth; the 

 determination of five annual generations for central Alabama; the fact 

 of more serious injury during wet seasons; the possibility of killing 

 bollworms b}^ poisoning; the possible utility of corn as a trap crop, 

 and the usefulness of fall plowing in more northern latitudes for the 

 destruction of hibernating pupse. 



Man}^ of these points were not original with this investigation, as, 

 for instance, the recommendation of the possible utility of corn as a 

 trap crop in protecting cotton. This idea appears first to have been 

 suggested by Mr. E. Sanderson in 1858, as a result of his belief in the 

 identity of the corn worm and bollworm, and his recommendations are 

 set forth in the American Cotton Planter of 1858. Professors Riley, 

 French, and others had also previously determined many of the points 

 here presented. The report of the United States Entomological Com- 

 mission on the bollworm, b}^ Professor Riley, adds but little to our 

 knowledge of the pest as presented in the report of Comstock, and 

 need not be considered in detail. 



A special investigation of the bollworm was provided for by Con- 

 gress in 1890, and this work was begun July 1 of that year, b}^ Mr. 

 F. W. Mally, working under the direction of the Entomologist, 

 Professor Rile}^ The chief object of this investigation was to con. 

 duct further experiments with remedies, as well as to verify the value 

 of those already employed, and incidentally to ascertain new facts 



