PROTECTION OF THE NATURAL ENEMIES OF ALETTA. 123 



tbe opportunity of seeing jute planted side by side with cotton. He 

 writes in his report as follows : 



In my investigation this season I had the opportunity of seeing the jute grow- 

 ing in the midst of cotton. It had been planted in May, and when I saw it, late 

 in August, had attained the height of 8 to 10 feet, and was luxuriant. The row, 

 about 200 feet long, was surrounded by cotton, the row of the jute running parallel 

 with the rows of cotton, and the worms were abundant on the cotton in the midst 

 of the jute, and touching their leaves. Its effect was nihil. 



In the fall of 1881, in the experimental grounds of the cotton exposi- 

 tion at Atlanta. Ga., we had an excellent opportunity of observing the 

 effect of jute which was planted in the midst of cotton. Kot only was 

 the cotton adjacent to the jute utterly defoliated by the worms, but 

 they had spun up in great numbers on the jute leaves. 



Other plants which are believed to have similar protective influence 

 are hemp ( Cannabis sativa),the China tree {Mel'm azedarach)^ the Dill 

 {Anethum graveolens^, and lately the Pyrethruin plants, not to mention 

 others which are known only under local x^opular names, and which we 

 have been unable to identify. While we do not doubt that the plants 

 just mentioned are generally free from insect injury, it is safe to say 

 that none of them have any protective influence whatever over other 

 plants in their neighborhood, and none whatever on the appearance or 

 non-appearance of the Cotton Worm. Eeports of success are illusory, 

 the non-appearance of the worms being due to other causes. 



Protection of Natural Enemies. — Hardly less important than 

 early planting is the protection of those natural enemies of the Cotton 

 Worm that permit of it. In the present state of our knowledge no 

 practicable method presents itself that will enable the planter to pro- 

 tect or propagate, or in any other way encourage, on a large scale, the 

 most effective of these enemies, viz., the parasites of Aletiaj but much 

 good can be accomplished by the protection of many other enemies, and 

 foremost among them of the birds. The shooting and trapping of all 

 smaller birds, which is so industriously practiced at the present time by 

 the freedmen throughout the cotton States, as well as the collecting 

 and destroying of birds' nests and eggs, should be prohibited, while the 

 killing of hawks and other birds of prey should be encouraged. Tame 

 fowls, such as chickens, turkeys, and guinea-hens, have proved valu- 

 able in protecting small fields near the house, and would accomplish 

 much good if brought up near those spots where the first worms occur. 



Lizards, frogs, and toads, which are familiar objects to every one, 

 and a great many of the insect enemies of Aletia, e. g., Ground-beetles, 

 Soldier-beetles, Lady-birds and Soldier- bugs, which by their size or col- 

 oration are conspicuous enough to be recognized by the jDlanter from the 

 figures given in the chapter on IsTatural Enemies, should never be wan- 

 tonly destroyed. The leaving of an occasional stump in the field is, we 

 believe, advisable, because the nests of ants in the ground are less lia- 

 ble to be washed away and destroyed by rains in fields where trees and 

 stumps occur. 



