52 



individual worm would feed and mature independently; hence no con- 

 ditions exist to induce their preying upon .each other and the maximum 

 number of Avorms attain maturity. 



The results of this preventive measure may be concisely stated to 

 be: First, protection of the cotton. Second, the minimum number of 

 Boll Worms reach maturity Avithout additional expense after being 

 trapped. Third, the first and second are both attained without special 

 cost, in that no money outlay is necessary; no additional labor, since 

 the same would be required were the rows cotton instead of corn; at 

 any rate corn enough is produced to pay for the time and labor re- 

 quired. Fourth, beneficial insects are more or less attracted and their 

 attack concentrated to a certain extent upon a single obnoxious insect. 

 Fifth, the planter thus protecting his cotton is certain to succeed, 

 whether his neighbors attempt equally with him to protect theirs or 

 not, for, having fresh corn in good condition in his cotton, visiting 

 moths from adjoining farms will choose to deposit and the resulting 

 worms will ravage the corn to the practical neglect of the cotton. 



COW-PEAS. 



For attracting or diverting the Boll Worm moth from the cotton this 

 crop ranks next to corn. The essential point to be attained is to plant 

 the peas at such a time that the crop will be in the height of its bloom- 

 ing period during the latter part of August and September. The 

 Boll Worm moth is very fond of sipping the sweets at the base 

 of the developing blooms and very young pods. The peas answer the 

 purpose best it seems if planted in distinct rows adjoining cotton fields. 

 The growth should be rank and dense, so as to induce the moths to 

 make these rows of dense growth their hiding place. From observa- 

 tion it has been often found that where patches of peas in prime con- 

 dition were met with during August and September the moths were 

 found there in great abundance and to the practical exclusion of them 

 in the adjoining cotton. 



In case it is found that the late-planted trap corn will mature rather 

 too early to be of the greatest value, and especially in regions where 

 drought is apt to prematurely ripen corn, it is to be urged that cow-peas 

 be planted between the rows of corn in time to furnish a continuation 

 of the trap through the rest of the season. In any case it would be 

 well to plant the peas as suggested as an additional attraction along 

 with the trap corn. Care must be taken that only a minimum area is 

 planted, in order that, possibly, other remedial agencies can be applied 

 with the least possible expense if found advisable to do so. 



POISONED SWEETS. 



The only crop upon which there is a probability of practically utiliz- 

 ing poisoned sweets is that of the cow-j)eaSj planted in limited areas as 





