APPEIVDIX IV. 



EEPOETS OF DE. E. H. ANDEESON. 



REPORT FOR 1880. 



Canton, Miss., October 20, 1880. 



Sir : As your appointee, I have the honor to make the following report. 



After diligent search, commencing a^^ early as the middle of June, I saw no sign of 

 Aletia until the first week in August, and then in my locality^ Kirkwood, Miss., found 

 but one larva, that full grown and on the top of the plant. On the other hand, from 

 the 1st of July, the visitation of the Boll Worm was made manifest, and from then untii 

 the j)resent time it has continued its destructive operations, doing about the usual 

 amount of damage, and probably shortening the crop 10 per cent. During my inves- 

 tigation in July I found several worms upon the cotton leaf, one among which, while 

 1 had it in my hand on the leaf upon which I found it, commenced to web up, and 

 while engaged in this would apparently stop to gather fiber from the under surface 

 of the leaf with its mandibles, throwing its body from side to side as it spun its web, 

 and would occasionally stop and eat a circular hole through the leaf, such as we fre- 

 quently find early in the season, and might suppose to be the work of the Cotton 

 Worm, but the circular form should distinguish it from the Cotton Worm, as Aletia 

 always eats along a line. I found other small worms also webbed ujj in terminal 

 shoots, but the injury to cotton so slight as to be inai^preciable. Finding that Ale- 

 tia had not visited my locality by the 20th of August, and judging from the low tem- 

 perature of the season that we would have them, the worms, in too small numbers for 

 experimental purposes, I went to Canton, where I had heard of them, and where they 

 are almost annual visitors, though this season coming too late to do much damage. 

 They were first discovered, as I learned through correspondence with the proprietor 

 where they were found, on June 22, and he informs me that they have been annual 

 visitors for years past. His place is elevated and undulating, having a red clay 

 substratum, and consequently retains moisture well, and his system of culture is flat, 

 in order to prevent washing. It is bounded on the north and northwest by woodland 

 and has an orchard and grove on the south, elsewhere open and bare. The worms 

 first made their appearance on one of the most elevated spots in the field, the first 

 brood eating to a limited extent. At a later period they were discovered at another 

 point on a slight declination, and extended their area, and still later on the top of the 

 ridge, widening their area, and finally were to be found all over the cotton, but too 

 late to do actual damage. Let it be borne in mind that this.field, or rather this planta- 

 tion, had been diligently worked and annually fertilized to some extent both with 

 cotton seed and compost, and although the corn land received the fresh manure, the 

 system of rotation of crops gave the cotton the benefit of the previous year's manuring, 

 and by leaching all received a proportion of the benefit. Those who advocate the 

 theory that the succulent and luxuriant condition of the plant such as is oftenest found 

 in low and wet spots, and where an exuberance of nectar might be found, is more 

 inviting to the moths, would find it difficult to explain why they were found on these 

 elevated spots referred to and similar spots referred to by Mr. Trelease in his report 

 of 1879. Those who favor the ant theory could not so well see or explain why the 

 ants did not prevent the increase of the worm on these elevated ridges where there 

 was nothing to prevent their building hills and pursuing their predatory habits. 



I admit that the worms are oftener found in wet spots than elsewhere, and I think 

 for an obvious reason, but I cannot assent to the proposition that they first appear 

 7iaturally in such spots. Early in the season, I think they would be found where the 

 sun had freest access to tlie cotton, and where fertilizers had stimulated its growth, 

 and this would more likely be upon elevations. Upon such cotton have I found the 

 first worms the past two seasons. Though the question of hibernation is still unset- 

 tled. Professor Riley's investigations have rendered it almost certain that it appears 

 much earlier in the season here than had been previously supposed, and as full-grown 



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