[20] 



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The number of moths from the first brood of worms was very large ; they were not 

 appreciably diminished by any enemies. The principal resting place by day was a 

 part of the field in which the grass was thick and overlapped the middle of the rows ; 

 by night these went over wellnigh the whole field, depositing eggs mostly on the large, 

 full grown leaves about one-third the height of the plant from the ground. Of the 

 next brood of worms a large proportion bore eggs of the Tachinafly, the maggot from 

 which destroyed a great many chrysalids ; specimens of larvsB bearing Tachina eggs 

 I forwarded to you. Whilst the moths were so abundant I put out in the fields some 

 pans containing poisoned sweets as follows : 



(1) Molasses and vinegar and white arsenic. 



(2) Molasses and vinegar and corrosive sublimate. 



(3) Molasses and vinegar and potassium cyanide. 



(4) Molasses and vinegar and copper sulphate. 



(5) Molasses and vinegar and strychnine. 



In some cases I substituted for vinegar alcohol and water. 



I did not succeed in destroying many. The fluid in the pan was covered by a per- 

 forated top. In this way the greatest effect was by molasses, vinegar, and white ar- 

 senic. 



But I destroyed a larger number by using open pans containing thick molasses with 

 a little vinegar ; the moths were caught by the molasses. 



I noticed Aletia moths on flowers of Solidago or golden rod, which blooms here in 

 September. I saw frequently the chrysalids of Aletia enveloped in the leaves of 

 Morning Glory; but never saw the larvae feeding on that plant. On October 13 and 

 14 the weather began to grow cool ; the wind blew from the northward ; it was not by 

 any means cold enough for frost ; during this wind I observed Aletia moths moving 

 southward, leaving the cotton field and entering the wooded land lying south of the 

 field. They frequently alighted on the oak leaves and remained a long time. They 

 did not move in numbers together, but singly. I saw no eggs deposited on the oak 

 leaves. 



On night of October 15 a cold rain fell, and by the afternoon of the 16th the greater 

 part of the moths disappeared ; late that afternoon I looked carefully for them where 

 they had been so abundant in the grass and found but a few ; those that remained 

 were to a great degree benumbed and their movements much impaired. Larvae were 

 still on the plants ; they, too, were affected by the cold. 



The three or four days succeeding were somewhat warmer, though the nights con- 

 tinued cool, the thermometer being in the early morning as low as 41° F. Then the 

 moths showed themselves more, but not a fifth of the number that were in the field 

 prior to the 15th. I think a large proportion of these last issued from pupsB during the 

 warm days. 



On October 23 I visited the field after a considerable frost ; found the larvae still 

 living, and leaving the upper frosted leaves for lower ones that had been sheltered ; 

 many larvae fell, and were eaten by spiders and beetles. Several days later many 

 worms and chrysalids fell and were eaten by hogs which searched the whole field. I 

 searched in the grass and found some moths, almost in a state of torpor, scarcely able 

 to move ; others had been devoured, as I knew from the wings found and from the 

 partially consumed bodies of some. I reared many Aletia larvae and kept many 

 chyrsalids for transformation. 



One was only five days a chrysalis, becoming a moth on the sixth day. 



VEGETABLE PREPARATIONS. 



I will now proceed to mention the vegetable preparations which I made in the hope 

 of finding some indigenous plant possessing effectual insecticide properties. In every 

 case, I used the plants or parts of plant after carefully drying them in the shade. 



(1) Ailanthus (Tree of Paradise): Made decoction three-fourths pound leaves to 

 2^ gallons water ; infusion, 1 pound leaves to 2^ gallons of water. 



(2) Pokeweed (Phytolacca) : Decoction, 8 ounces leaves to 1 gallon water ; infusion, 

 8 ounces to 1 gallon water. Pokeweed root : extract, 2 ounces dried root to 1 gallon 

 of mixture of alcohol and water in equal parts. 



(3) Ragweed (Ambrosia) : Decoction, 1 pound of stems and leaves to 1 gallon water. 

 Infusion, as above, 8 ounces to one-half gallon alcohol and one-half gallon water 

 mixed. 



(4) Relenium autumnale : 1 pound to 2| gallons water. Decoction and infusion. 



(5) Relenium tenuifolium : 1 pound to 2i gallons water. Decoction and infusion. 



(6) Pennyroyal : 2 ounces to gallon of alcohol and water mixed. Extract, 2 pounds 

 to gallon water. Decoction and infusion. 



(7) Datura stramonium (Jamestown weed) : Seed dried and ground. 8 ounces to 

 quart of alcohol. 



(8) Mock orange {Prunus caroliniana) : 4 ounces leaves to quart of water. Decoction. 



(9) Yeast ferment. 



(10) Buckeye (^sculus) fruit. Extract. 



