[78] 



1. This county was occupied by the Choctaw Indians till 1832, and was mostly set- 

 tled up by the white people in 1833, and rapidly cleared up and planted largely in 

 cotton. 



2. The first year of the worms was in 1842 (so far as I know), when they stripped 

 the foliage from the cotton in September. 



3. They are generally worse after a winter of even temperature, not very cold. Last 

 winter was a very cold one, and the worms have worked about in patches through 

 the two past months, but not extensively damaging the cotton, though the w eather 

 has been very wet, and the moths are now appearing in considerable numbers. We 

 have them in damaging numbers one or two years, and then an intermission of two or 

 three years, and sometimes ajternatiug in different sections of the county. 



4. Wet summers are much the most favorable for their multiplication. In dry, 

 warm summers they do not multiply. 



5. By the middle of May, but generally not till June, in their earliest but small gen- 

 erations. In 1873 the destructive brood — second or third generation — stripped the 

 cotton of foliage in July and early in August ; usually not till the last of August and 

 September. ■- 



6. They generally appear earliest in ''bottom lands" and prairie, where adjoining 

 thick-set wood lands. 



7. They hibernate in the moth state ; and also the very late-formed chrysalis exists in 

 that state through the winter, where protected froni severe cold by grass or other 

 herbage or covering, and perhaps in the ground. 



8. All our insectivorous birds consume the worms, and the moths to some extent, 

 but which are not out on the wing except at late evening and at night, or at a dark, 

 cloudy evening. 



9. No methods to destroy the moths have proved effectual ; but fires attract them 

 most, when some are burned or their wings disabled, and molasses will stick and hold 

 some when attracted by a candle standing in the plate or vessel. This is the only 

 known means of destroying the moth of the boll-worm, and preventing the great dam- 

 age to the cotton crop by their more obscure depredations, and might be effectual to 

 lessen them much by the persistent use of great numbers of these plates of molasses, 

 with lamps or lanterns so made that they could fly into and be burned, and thus de- 

 stroying them before laying their eggs in the cotton blossom. But sugar'or si^rupsdo 

 not perceptibly attract by themselves. 



10. These things are only useful in plates, when the moths are attracted by lights. 



11. Know of no flowers which attract the moth, excei)t the cotton blossoms attract 

 the moth of the boll-worm, in which it deposits the eggs, one in each blossom ; and 

 these blossoms are expanding from «arly June to September which perfect cotton, 

 and thence on into October, but which are too -late to mature. 



12. Know nothing of the influence of jute grown near cotton. 



13. Know nothing better than Paris green or cheaper than arsenic to destroy the 

 worms, but have an essay, in pamphlet, published in 1874, on "The Texas Cotton 

 Worm Destroyer," discovered and patented by J. D. Braman and A. Robira, " which 

 is a salt of arsenic that readily dissolves in cold water," "four ounces of which, dis- 

 solved in 40 gallons of water, and costing 25 cents, and sprinkled over an acre of cotton 

 with a watering-pot or sprinkling-machine, will effectually destroy the worms and 

 preserve the cotton." Patented by Eobert Rennie in 1874. And they claim that it is 

 better, safer, and cheaper than the other articles named. 



14. Have not known of any injurious effects from the poison to men or animals, but 

 heard of some through want of caution. , The cotton leaves are quickly crisped and 

 killed by the application of more poison than is necessary to kill the worms or in too 

 concentrated a form. 



15. The best methods of destroying the worms are given in the above answers and 

 in my essay, and the most expeditious, with the cheapest, will be to use the poison 

 in a dissolved form, and applied with a fountain hand-xmmp. 



16. The cost per acre to protect a crop of cotton by killing the worms with poison 

 will be from 25 cents to §1 and about half a day's work with the fountain hand-pump, 

 to apply the poison in water, dissolved; or with sifters lined with muslin, to apply 

 the poison in dry form, well mixed and incorporated with plaster or flour, when the 

 cost of the flour may be added to the above-named cost, which was given only as tbe 

 cost of the poison. What would be the cost of lamps, lantern traps, vessels, and 

 material to destroy the moth, particularly that of the boll-worm, which does a vast 

 amount of injury to cotton crops, or even to materially lessen the numbers, cannot 

 now be estimated, as it has not been sufiiciently tested. The fountain pump costs 

 about $5. 



Respectfully, 



L. D. HOYT. 

 Prof. C. V. RIJ.EY. 



