A SYSTEM OF WARNINGS FALSE THEORIES. 
127 
A general poisoning in advance of the first appearance of the worms 
lias been recommended, but it is evident that there is little to be gained 
by this method, first, on account of the rapidity with which a new 
growth of leaves is made thus early in the season; secondly, because the 
poison would be washed away after the lapse of one or two weeks, and 
much earlier in unfavorable weather; and, thirdly, because it is an un- 
necessary expense, since the first worms appear only in isolated spots, 
which may be discovered by careful watching. 
Cotton Worm Warnings. — In the wore northern portions of the 
cotton belt the worm appears only after it has multiplied or been very 
bad in one or several places in the more southern portion. The impor- 
tance to the more northern planter of keeping posted as to the progress 
of the worm in the hibernating centers is, therefore, evident, as he will 
thus be enabled to provide beforehand the means of destroying the pest. 
To provide for ami keep up such Cotton Worm signals and warnings is 
a very easy matter when compared with the Locust warnings in the 
West. The permanent region of the Locust is the least accessible and 
least populous region of the country, while that of the Cotton Worm is 
the richest and most densely populated portion of the South, traversed 
by numerous railroads and telegraphs, with populous cities and an en- 
terprising pic--. 
As a measure intended to reduce the number of hibernating moths, it 
may be suggested that, as vast numbers of late chrysalides are usually 
carried into the gin-house, and as the moths issuing therefrom are so 
likely to find the requisite winter protection there, the expediency of 
removing and destroying these chrysalides as soon as possible, and of 
not allowing them to remain in the gin house until they hatch, is ap- 
parent 
False theories. — There is, of course, no want of theories regarding 
preventive measures, mostly based upon wrong conception of the nat- 
ural history of the insect; nevertheless, they always find advocates. 
One of these proposed measures is to burn, in winter time, the old stalks 
of the cotton plants, instead, as is generally done now, of breaking them 
down in toe spring, the intention being to kill the insect supposed to 
be hibernating within the stalks. Another measure frequently recom- 
mended is to plow the fields in winter time in order to expose the chrys- 
alides, supposed to be in the ground, to the rain and frost. The premises 
being false, the theories with their suggestions are worthless. 
Another widely disseminated notion prevails as to the preventive 
power of salt sown on the field while planting cotton, or even after the 
plants are up. This method has been tried by reliable planters, and, 
as might have been foreseen, with indifferent results, the rows where 
salt had been used being do less injured by the worms than the rows 
not salted. That salt has a beneficial influence as manure in eertaiu 
kinds of soils there can be no doubt, but its supposed protective influence 
is wholly imaginary, being based on the vague notion that the salt is 
absorbed by the plant, which is thus rendered distasteful to the worm. 
