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Austin, TexAS, August 17, 1877. 



Editor Democratic Statesman: 



On the 16th of August, in company with other gentlemen, we visited 

 several farms in this vicinity, upon which experiments have been made in 

 the cotton fields with Preston & Rohira's Cotton Worm Destroyer. The 

 plantations of G. H. Burditt, J. J. Osborne and W. M. Dunson were 

 visited successfully. The preparation had been distributed over the fields 

 of each of these, and in neither instance was the crop harmed or lessened 

 in productiveness by the destructive worms. On one place, that of Mr. 

 Osborne, alternate rows of cotton, at some distance from one another were 

 left untouched by the poison. From every stalk, in these rows every leaf 

 was stripped, and the cotton valueless, and producing nothing, while the 

 rest of the field flourishes and a fair crop will be gathered from it. These 

 farmers say that the poison prepared by Preston & Robira will accomplish 

 all that is claimed for it, and they authorize us to use their names in assert- 

 ing the great value of the worm-destroying preparation, compounded by 

 the gentlemen named above. One farmer in the neighborhood who had 

 used a small quantity of the preparation, said that it availed him little or 

 nothing ; but when he saw the fields of Messrs, Burditt, Osborne and 

 Dunson, he confessed that he was peculiarly unfortunate and that the crops 

 of his three neighbors had been saved by the Preston & Robira preparation. 

 But the facts are notorious. Every cotton planter in the vicinity of these 

 plantations, above designated, has seen and confesses the value of the ap- 

 plication of this poison, and the demand for it must grow with the extended 

 knowledge of its value, and the prevention of the ravages of the cotton 

 caterpillar may be certainly effected. If farmers reading this statement of 

 simple facts, would test the value of the preparation, they should address 

 Messrs. Alvey or Tobin of this city, for the mediciue and refer to the under- 

 signed for particulars : 



J. J. Osborne, T. H. Burditt, W. M. Dunson, Capt. J. Thompson, John T. 

 Miller, A. T. Morris, T. C. Thompson, late wholesale druggist of Galveston, 

 and now of the firm of Fiulay & Thompson, New Orleans. 



ScHULENBERG, Texas, Aug. Ist, 1877. 



Messrs. Preston & Robira, Galveston : 



Gentlemen, — Your Worm Destroyer has been thoroughly tested by 

 mauy of our customers. All agree that for killing the worm, and at thg 

 same time leaving the plant in good condition it excels everything else tried- 

 hut all agree that two measures are required to the acre making it too ex- 

 pensive when compared with other poisons. Could this preparation be 

 put up at a less cost and retain its present strength it would stand without 

 a rival. 



Yours, truly, 



W. F. Upton. 



