Insects affecting the cotton plant . however, w ere overlooked on accountof their small numbers, and, in fact, in the northern portions of thecotton belt the general idea was correct enough, since northward-flyingmoths in general do not oviposit in fields in this region until compar-atively late in the season. The moths hibernate only in the extremesouthern portions of the cotton belt, as will be shown in the nextsection, and begin to lay their eggs as early as March, or perhaps evenearlier, in south Texas and Florida. Two generations are rapidlydeveloped, and then, in these localities, a conf
Insects affecting the cotton plant . however, w ere overlooked on accountof their small numbers, and, in fact, in the northern portions of thecotton belt the general idea was correct enough, since northward-flyingmoths in general do not oviposit in fields in this region until compar-atively late in the season. The moths hibernate only in the extremesouthern portions of the cotton belt, as will be shown in the nextsection, and begin to lay their eggs as early as March, or perhaps evenearlier, in south Texas and Florida. Two generations are rapidlydeveloped, and then, in these localities, a confusion of generations com-mences on account of the retardation of development in certain indi-viduals and acceleration in certain others. Moths from the end ofMarch on are constantly flying out from these points and, carried bythe prevailing southerly winds, settle in more northern fields and stocka certain number of plants with eggs. Moths developing from cater-pillars hatching from these eggs in turn stock the fields in which they. 6 have developed with a greater number of eggs, and a certain proportionof them fly farther north. In this way there is a progressive develop-ment all through the cotton belt and a somewhat varying number ofgenerations in different localities. Under certain conditions, however,such as the early development of a very large brood in the far South, somany moths may be developed that there is a nearly simultaneousstocking of a very extensive region. The importance of ascertaining the early presence of the worms,although in small numbers, from a remedial point of view, is very great,and since it was conclusively shown that worms may be found in thefields in the Gulf States long before the so-called first crop, plantershave looked for them more carefully, and doubtless in many cases possibly severe injury has been prevented by the poisoning of early worms. The moths of the last generation in seasons of cotton-worm abun-dance frequently make their appearan
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