ANSWERS TO CIRCULAR NO. 7. [79] 



Parish of Concordia, Louisiana, 



Lake Concordia, August 8, 1879. 



1. About the year 1810 the planters of this parish and the adjoining county of Adams, 

 most of whom owned property in both localities, commenced abandoning the culture 

 of indigo, and substituted that of the cotton plant. 



2. The first Cotton Worms or Caterpillars were noticed in 1840, both in this parish 

 and in Addms County. They were noticed in August cutting the cotton in rank 

 spots. The second crop stripped the rank cotton in September. The appearance of 

 an heretofore unknown insect caused a meeting of all the leading planters, and it was 

 generally agreed that, owing to the luxuriant rank growth of the cotton stripped by 

 the worms, they were rather a benefit than otherwise, leaving the bolls exposed to 

 the sun, and thus insuring their ripening. The worms again appeared in greater 

 numbers in 1844 and 1846, doiu^ considerable damage both years, especially in the lat- 

 ter year, as they stripped every field in the county before maturity. They continued to 

 appear in numbers at intervals up to the breaking out of the war, but, as the culture 

 of the cotton jjlant was pushed forward very early under the then existing system 

 of labor, the yield was not much shortened by the stripping of the leaves in Septem- 

 ber, and many planters continued to think that the large cotton in new grounds, of 

 which there was a considerable quantity, was benefited by the loss of foliage. 



3. The character of the winter seems to have rery little influence upon the propa- 

 gation of the Cotton Worm ; its development in greater or less numbers seems to 

 depend principally upon the character of the summer season. A wet, rainy summer, 

 causing a rank, succulent, growth of the plant, is peculiarly adapted to their propaga- 

 tion in countless numbers, even apparently shortening the period between their reap- 

 pearance from twenty-one to eighteen days, and causing them to appear in such num- 

 bers in what is commonly called the second crop (in August) as to almost destroy the 

 leaves on the cotton, and not leave sufficient foliage to sustain the next generation 

 in September for more than half their allotted seven days. For instance, the winter 

 of 1872-'73 was one of the coldest known in this latitude for years. Worms were 

 noticed in the latter part of May, and by the last of August the cotton fields of 

 this parish were perfectly bare, and yet still another crop of worms hatched in lat- 

 ter part of September, and destroyed crops saved by application of Paris green. 



4. Wet summers are almost essential to the reproduction in any great numbers of 

 the worm. Many of the eggs do not hatch in dry weather, and then the many enemies 

 of the worm have a better chance to destroy them. 



5. In 1868, the first year of my experience as a planter, I noticed a few in spots 

 about July 15. August 7 they Avere quite numerous in spots. August 25 they reap- 

 peared, and injured the crop considerably ; worms green, with two rows of yellow, with 

 black spots down back. September 8 a more numerous crop stripped portions of the 

 field. September 25 the green, with black stripes down back, appeared, and soon 

 stripped the plants of every leaf and small boll. In 1869 I found a few worms as early 

 as June 24, full grown, pale green, marked with white and yellow spots. July 15 a 

 few were noticed in rank cotton. August 7 they were quite numerous in spots of same 

 character of cotton. August 27 the green and black spotted worm "chopped" the 

 leaves badly over whole crop, and successive crops appeared each week, September 2, 

 September 8 ; and then on September 20 the green and black striped worm com- 

 menced stripping the crop. This was a very wet season, cotton growing very large, 

 and desx)ite the loss of leaves, the yield per acre was about one bale of 400 pounds 

 weight. 



In 1870 the season was one of the driest ever known. I did not find worms until 

 September 15, and then the green and black striped. They were not in sufficient num- 

 bers to do any harm. In 1871, the first worms noticed from 1st to 15th July, green; 

 reappeared August 15, green, with black spots ; September 10 appeared in considerable 

 numbers, green, black striped, but did not entirely strip the x>lant; extremely wet 

 spring, but dry summer. In 1872 the first noticed were on September 9, green, yellow 

 stripes, black spots ; reappeared July 15, all sizes and stages ; August 20 to 25, heavy 

 crop of green, black striped, stripping the cotton early in September. In 1873 found 

 first worms latter part of May ; had seen flies around buildings on warm days in Feb- 

 ruary ; did not pay much attention to their reproduction until July 25, when the green 

 and black spotted ones appeared in considerable quantities. August 15 the green and 

 black striped worms came in myriads, and made short work of the rank, succulent 

 cotton, the growth of a rainy summer. I saved 900 acres by applying Paris green; 

 600 acres in one part of the parish was destroyed by October 1, the flies having been 

 blown into my fields from adjoining plantations by a heavy wind the week previous ; 

 300 acres on another plantation, being isolated, was not agaiu molested. 



In 1874 the first and second appearances were noticed latter part of July and Au- 

 gust ; September 4, considerable numbers of all sizes and grades ; September 14, num- 

 bers sufficient to strip the cotton crop, as it was mostly planted after an overflow. 

 Applied Paris green in places, but the worms disappeared^ probably destroyed by birds 

 and insects. In 1875, although not an unusually dry year, no worms were noticed. 



