3 



PRUNING. 



By severely pruning the plants in the fall and burning all 

 branches and bolls immediately, large numbers of the insect in 

 different stages will be destroyed. If no other host plant offers 

 itself most of the insects that survive the fire stand great chance 

 of perishing before new food in the shape of squares, flowers 

 and bolls of cotton will be found in the following spring. It is 

 important that this work should be done in as short a time and 

 in as thorough a manner as possible when once started and 

 that all plants in the vicinity should be pruned. Ornamental 

 plants in yards, or hedges of cotton remaining, or any plants left 

 in the field, serve as breeding places for the insect in which they 

 are carried over for the next crop. This we learned to ottr sor- 

 row in carrying on a pruning experiment to determine at what 

 time it was best to prune. To secure best results in burning the 

 green branches, a good hot fire should be started with dry ma- 

 terial and the work of piling on the brush will be greatly facili- 

 tated if the fire is placed in a shallow hole or gulch near the cot- 

 ton field. In clearing land of guava or other bushes it would be 

 well to leave a part of these in the place where it is intended to 

 burn the cotton prunings. 



