THE CONCIIUELA. 
Table XXXI. — Cost of fei ad- picking of the conchuela. 
71 
Date. 
Number of 
boys 
employed. 
Total numbe r 
of hours. 
Number of 
conchuelas 
collected. 
Average 
number of 
conchuelas 
per boy. 
Number of 
Fxnenseof bu - 
piCKin^. eac j 1 eent 
ofex] 
190o. 
July 12 
4 
14 
22 
25 
25 
20 
70 
110 
125 
729 
6,200 
5,400 
1,500 
1,600 
182 
428 
60 
65 
10.50 
3.25 
3.50 
3.50 
14.."> 
July 13 
Julv 14 
L6.6 
July 25. 
4.3 
July 26 
4.6 
Summary . . . 
90 450 
15,429 
171 
13.00 
11. + 
On July 25 and 26 the work in the labia to which the above data 
refer was unsatisfactory, owing to incompetent supervision. Accept- 
ing, however, 11.+ as the average number of bugs collected and 
destroyed for each cent of expense for a total of $135 expended in 
1905 for hand-collecting at Tlahualilo, it is estimated that approxi- 
mately 180,000 of the insects were collected and destroyed. If each 
of these insects at the time of its removal from the field had been 
capable of causing one-half as great damage as the data under in- 
dividual capabilities show to have been accomplished under condi- 
tions of heavy infestation the total loss prevented by this expendi- 
ture would be equivalent to over $1,800. The profit may be con- 
sidered, therefore, as about twelve times the investment. 
Length of time required for hand-pieJcing. — Bugs may be collected 
much more quickly on small or medium-sized plants than on large 
plants. In examining plants for the purpose of obtaining data on 
seasonal history the writer on one occasion examined and made a 
record of the number of bugs found on 1,892 plants in '2\ hours. 
Considering that the recording of the data occupied about the same 
length of time as would have been necessary to collect the insects, it 
would require about 6 hours at the rate given to collect the Penta- 
tomids found in conspicuous positions on the plants in 1 acre. The 
native boys engaged in picking the bugs at Tlahualilo averaged about 
30 minutes to each 300 plants, or about 7 hours per acre. 
Praetiathtlitj/ of hond-piel/ing in the United States. — While the per 
diem cost of labor is much greater in the States of our cotton belt 
than in Mexico, where the experiments recorded were undertaken, 
this probably would be to a great extent (\( not entirely) offset by 
greater efficiency. Especially good results should be obtained when 
hand-picking can be practiced under the direct supervision of the 
owner or some other person materially interested in the cotton. It 
« Individual capabilities for damage have been shown to be greatest when infesta- 
tion is lightest. 
