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eS eat aid in areas which had been severely hit by the drought and 
other conditions during the past two seasons. It was agreed that if 
such aid were made available Federal funds would be used to purchase poi- 
son bran bait for delivery to designated parties within such counties. 
After such delivery the county and State organizations were to delegate 
local organizations for spreading the bait. No bait was to be furnished 
to individual farmers, but to community organizations under appropriate 
community leaders. It was also agreed that baits were to be furnished 
only to the counties not able to finance grasshopper control campaigns. 
COTTON INSECTS 
K. P,. Ewing, assisted by W. S. Cook and R. L. McGarr, have contin— 
ued making population counts of the tarnished plant bug (Lygus praten= 
sis L.) at Tallulah, La. They report: "Although Lygus pratensis was 
not as active during December as in November it could still be collect— 
ed in fairly large numbers on green plants, especially alfalfa. It could 
also be collected from the dormant stems or foliage of their previous 
preferred weed host plants, as Aster, Erigeron, and goldenrod." The 
average numbers per 100 sweeps of L. pratensis collected for four weeks 
in December (from an average of 200 sweeps per host plant each week) 
were: From alfalfa, 96.0, 77.7, 76.8, 83.7; from Aster ericoides, 75 90% 
79.8, 34.0, 15.0; from Erigeron canadensis, 15.0, 18.0, 0.0, 0.0; frem 
goldenrod, 59.5, 26.5, 61, 42.5. No living specimens of the cotton flea 
hopper (Psallus seriatus Reut.) or the cotton plant bug (Adelphecoris 
rapidus Say) were collected. 
summing up from reports of various observers at Tallulah, La., the 
unusually high temperatures prevailing during the fall months evidently 
caused notable variation in the normal type of hibernation of the boll 
weevil. Most fields in northern Louisiana had been defoliated by kill- 
ing frosts from October 31 to November 2, but following that period mild 
or even warm weather prevailed, with the temperature never less than 30°. 
The October-November cold snap .resulted in migration of practically all 
of the weevils to the few fields protected by proximity to the river or 
lakes. The regular fall moss examinations for weevils were made Decem— 
ber 2 to 5, when it was believed that weevil migration to hibernation quar— 
ters had been completed. However, "on December 14 32 weevils were col— 
lected from the 26 field screens, which is considered a good catch during 
the summer months. These figures show that weevils were in the fields 
or that weevils were returning from hibernation quarters to some fields 
of old cotton which were sprouting a new and succulent growth." The 
total so collected for the month was 89 weevils, the high points being 
20 weevils on the 12th and 32 on the 14th. Twenty-seven weevils, fairly 
uniformly distributed, were collected between the 20th and the 30th of 
the month. To determine the amount of each movement, population counts 
were made, resulting in the collection of 113 weevils from 0.07 of an 
acre at Mound, La. (equalling 1,614 weevils per acre); 320 weevils from 
0.18 of an acre at Lake Providence (equivalent to 1,778 weevils per acre). 
. oe 
