312 REPORT 4, UNITED STATES ENTOMOLOGICAL COMMISSION. 
necessary to elevate the frame, A, off the ground,, and throw the whole weight of th« 
apparatus upon the wheels, C. Whenever the frame, A, is thus raised the wings, e 
and/, will be swung up to clear the upper expanded parts of the cotton plants. This 
is done by connecting the two wings that are hinged to each board, a, Vi th each other 
by a string, j, which passes over the lever, B, so that in swinging up such lever tho 
string will be drawn with it to contract or swing up the wing. In the front ends of 
two horizontal bars, I I, that are longitudinally secured to the upper parts of th« 
posts, 1), is hung a transverse drum or shaft, D ; from which a series of pointed brushes, 
E E, are suspended. Brushes, F F, are also rigidly affixed to a cross-bar, m, back of 
the shaft, D, and to inclined bars, n n, that are secured to the sides of the frame, A. 
" For use, the machine is placed to straddle a row of cotton between the inner wings, 
e e. The boards, a a, rest in the furrows and the outer wings on the rising sides of th« 
adjoining ridges, all as clearly shown in Fig. 2. The wings rest with their weight 
on the sides of the ridges. The machine being drawn ahead, the shaft, D, is revolved 
by its brushes, E. which come in contact with the cotton plants. Also, by subsequent 
contact with the brushes, F F, the worms are all swept to the ground, on which they 
are finally crushed and destroyed by the weight of the boards, a, and wings, ef. 
u Apart from the circumstance that this machine straddles only one 
row of plants, it is extremely doubtful whether all or even a large por- 
tion of the worms would be crushed by the bottom pieces, considering; 
the uneven nature of the ground. 77 
The following machines carry a tray, of sheet metal, canvas, or other 
suitable material, supplied with tar, coal oil, or other stifling substances 
to catch and kill the insects by strangulation. 
The Ewing Sweeper and Stifler consists essentially of two arms which 
beat off the worms from the row into a large flat tray drawn beneath 
charged with tar, &c. This is " one of the earliest used machines of 
this kind. It was inventedby Mr. William Ewing, of Columbia, La., in 
(No. 99995) 1869. Starting from the observation that the worms drop 
or throw themselves from the plant upon moderate disturbance of the 
leaves and branches, Mr. Ewing constructed a very simple machine, of 
which Fig. 4 is a top view and Fig. 5 a side view in PI. LTX. In these 
drawings a represents a frame constructed of wood or other suitable ma- 
terial, c d e the wheels, and / a yoke or drawing device. Upon the front- 
wheel, e, on either side, are pins, which act upon the lower ends, h, of 
the arms, i, as the wheel is rotated. These arms are pivoted to plates, j, 
and extend upward and outward so as to pass along the sides and over 
the top of the plants. To the upper part of these arms other tubular 
arms, Jc, are affixed, so that the brushes, Z, secured thereto and held in 
place by eyes or ring, jw. may be adjusted to the height of the plants. 
Between the frame a canvas, fc, is stretched. This latter is smeared with 
tar or any other material to which the worms will stick or adhere for a 
reasonable length of time. 
"This machine is intended to be drawn by hand, or by a horse or mule, 
between two rows of plants, the leaves and branches of which arc agi- 
tated by the arms and brushes. The worms fall upon the smeared sur- 
face of the canvas, and may easily be gathered up and destroyed. It 
is evident, however, that only those worms are caught which fall toward 
