36 
H. -Sch. , are known to occur on cotton plants and puncture the squares 
and bolls uaore or less, but ordinarily, according to our observations, 
these species are not the occasion of much injury. Much more 
important, however, is the shedding of squares and young bolls, or 
their drying up on the plant, which is in no way the result of insect 
attack, but is a physiological trouble. Injury of this character has 
often been pointed out as due to boll worms, and, on the whole, it is 
not ordinarily distinguished by planters from the work of this insect. 
Interesting observations on this trouble were made b}' Dr. (Jr. F. 
Atkinson when biologist of the Alabama Agricultural Experiment 
Station, and reported in Bulletin Xo. 41 of that station. The impor- 
tance of the subject warrants the presentation from that publication 
of certain remarks which throw light on the character of the malady: 
The shedding of bolls or "forms," or then- death and drying while still attached 
to the plant, is very frequently a source of great loss to the cotton crop. The trouble 
has been long known, but one widely prevalent and disastrous form has been mis- 
understood. It is often confused with the work of the bollworm, with punctures 
made by some hemipterous insect, etc. That some of the shedding is due to the 
work of the bollworm is true, but the shedding referred to here is a purely physio- 
logical trouble. 
During three years' observation in Alabama the author found this physiological 
form of shedding to be very serious. It occurs most frequently in extremes of either 
dry or wet weather, or during the change from one extreme to another. It may 
occur to some extent under normal climatic conditions, especially if the cotton plants 
are too thick, or the variety of cotton is one which develops a very large amount of 
fruit forms in proportion to the leaf surface. 
During a normal period of growth the j^lants put out as many fruit forms as could 
be matured should the conditions favorable to growth continue. If a very dry 
period succeeds this, interfering with the supply of nutriment and moisture, there 
will occur a partial withholding of tissue-forming material and moisture at a very 
critical period in the life of the young "forms," and the tissues of the young fi'ujt 
are forced into an unnaturally matured condition. The fruit, including the pedun- 
cle and often more or less of the surface tissue of the stem at its point of attachment, 
becomes first of a paler green color than the adjacent parts of the plant, so that a 
well-marked color line delimits the healthy fi'om the unhealthy portion. In many 
cases the tissue is separated at this line, so that the fruit falls off completely or hangs 
by a few fibers to the stem. The early growing season may be exceptionally favor- 
able for the development of a large plant with an abundance of young fruit, and if 
followed by even ordinarily normal conditions will result in a partial loss of this 
fruit. A long rainy season may also cause the young bolls or forms to fall, the soil 
being so saturated with water as to interfere with root absorption, and the assimila- 
tive activity of the leaves will also be disturbed. 
Observations have been made at different times bearing on the 
amount of injury from the bollworm as compared with that from other 
causes. The following table made up from observations by Mr. C. R. 
Jones indicates the character of results in general. Squares were 
picked at random from the cotton plants in passing through the fields, 
and afterward examined and classified. Five hundred squares were 
picked from each field. 
