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The idea of preparing an abstract on tlie cotton caterpillar was first 

 suggested to me by Mr. John J. Ferguson, of Alexandria, La., and was sub- 

 sequently warmly urged by many others to whom I mentioned the subject. 



In my researches for information, I have been kindly and ably assisted 

 by the Hon. Wm. G. LeDuc, Commissioner of Agriculture, Washington, 

 D. C, who furnished me with several copies of the Report of the Com- 

 missioner of Agriculture, which contained many articles in relation to the 

 cotton pest, compiled by Mr. Townsend Glover and other eminent ento- 

 mologists, employed by the general government or by individual States. 

 But knowing that there is no knowledge so valuable as that gained by 

 experience, and wishing to secure the most extensive and reliable in- 

 formation on the cotton worm for the benefit of my readers, I sent, many 

 months ago, to a large number of planters engaged in the culture of cotton, 

 whose addresses I procured through the cotton factors of our city and 

 other competent sources, a circular, stating the object of my enterprise, 

 and containing the following 



QUESTIONS : 



How long have you been planting cotton ? 



How long is it since you first noticed the worm on your plantation ? 

 Has the atmosphere anything to do with the coming of the worm ? that 

 is, are they more apt to appear in warm, or cold, wet, or dry seasons ? 

 Are there any signs which may be taken as fore-runners of the worm ? 

 What preventative should be used ? 



Do they leave their germs on the plantation from year to year ? 

 Have you used arsenic ? With what result ? 

 Have you used Paris green ? With what result ? 



What do you consider the best and most effective moans of destroying 

 the worms ? 



These requests for information were politely taken under consideration 

 by many to whom they were sent, and were, after a time, answered as fully 

 and perfectly as possible. As the experiences of the cotton planters in 

 regard to the caterpillar, coming direct from the writers, may be deemed 

 of more value than any extract that could be written from them, I give 

 elsewhere a number of the letters as received, selecting those which I deem 

 of most service, as most fully treating the subject under consideration. 



In many cases I have had letters from planters in neighboring vicinities, 

 when the sameness of the experiments and experiences made it unnecessary 

 to give all the communications ; while in other cases, the difference in the 

 result of the same treatment on cotton crops adjoining each other have 

 been so marked, that I regarded it as important to reproduce all information 

 received. 



HISTORY OF THE COTTON WORM. 

 The first appearance of these pests as destroyers of cotton was in 1800, 



