150 REPORT 4, UNITED STATES ENTOMOLOGICAL COMMISSION. 



during the season of 1879 and distributed to various observers and 

 agents in Georgia, Alabama, and Texas. Early in the spring of the 

 following year Mr. A. E. Whitney, of Franklin Grove, 111., found it to 

 be a perfect antidote to the canker-worms which had not been prevented 

 from ascending his apple trees. 



In the following year (1880) large quantities of the purple were used 

 by many planters in various parts of the cotton belt, while, at the same 

 time, in the !N^orthern States the experiments were vigorously continued. 

 It would lead us too far to report and discuss here all the experiments 

 which have been made on other insects than the Cotton Worm, and it 

 suffices to state briefly that the purple has proved to be a perfect substi- 

 tute for Paris green. As to its value as a remedy for the Cotton Worm, 

 the matter stands as follows: In Texas, where the purple has been 

 most extensively used, according, as we may add here, to the directions 

 given by us, the unanimous verdict of the planters is in its favor, not a 

 single case of failure having been reported. We have on file very 

 many reports and letters received from that State, and statements 

 that have appeared in the dailj" papers which express this favorable 

 opinion. In the other States the opinion is not uniform on the subject, 

 and there has been, especially in Alabama, considerable adverse ex- 

 perience with it. Mr. James Eoane, agent of the Commission, wrote 

 as follows on the subject : 



" I have been introduced to quite a number of planters, and upon con- 

 versing with them find that they are divided as to the efficacy of Lon- 

 don purple. Some reijudiate it altogether, while others are loud in its 

 praises. One thing is certain, that there has been a very large demand 

 for it. Mr. Wilkins tells me that in the space of one day he sold no 

 less than 2,0()0 pounds, saying at the same time that he could have 

 readily disposed of 20,000 pounds if he had had it. Major Hardie, who, 

 as you know, is a gentleman of the highest cultivation and attainments, 

 tells me that he has little faith in London purple, having used it on his 

 plantation under his direct supervision, without obtaining the satisfac- 

 tory results of Paris green. He mixes 1 pound of the purple with 40 of 

 flour, and sifts it over the plant. The main objection he urges against 

 it is its failure to kill the worm anything like as quickly as Paris green. 

 He acknowledges, however, that next to Paris green it is the best, be- 

 cause the only remedy to be obtained. 



*^ Immediately after Major Hardie gave his opinion on the purple, an 

 old planter, who just stepped in, said that he had used London purple 

 very extensively on his cotton-fields with the most flattering results. 

 He used the poison suspended in water." 



In the majority of cases the failure was plainly due to an overdose 

 of the poison applied, many planters having used it in the same pro- 

 portion as Paris green, simply because they chanced to have read Mr. 

 Trelease's report (see Report on Cotton Insects, 1879, Department of 

 Agriculture), who, strangely enough, always experimented with strong 



