The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-10-20
( COTTON BOIL WEEVlL.
~ Delivered Before the Cotton
's''' PNutcrs Convention.
,.srIxpoRTANT RECOMMEND ATOMS
n.Ies Laid Down Which Farm.
9, are Urged to F"i'"w-some-
thing Must BE Done.
!. 4. Editor OF The Post.


n. ], discussing and finding some remedy
terminate the boil weevil. which have
I. ,.fxs.ed our portion of the State. Dele
- from ten counties OF Southwestern
~ we're present. Professor Townsend.
y. xas sent down from the agricultural
.~nuent to lend his assistance In the
..n.r was invited to address the conven-
y. and read an able paper on this sub
=, which was adopted by the convention,
n oottcn growers are urgel to follow the
~ rules laid down in this recommends.
- Knowing the interest that your paper
~ and always has taken In the interest
.s.he cotton industry. and especially to the
-.,sjnr OF same. | would kindly ask Won
Z nuhlish Professor Townsends report In
VI and urge upon the planter tn necessity
bllowing his recommendations to insure
sotton crop, for II the farmer does moi
"a his best assistance in the matter of
s,r,rjDg out this pest tho result ca, only
4 mat cotton raising will he matter OF
,htory In a short while. Thanking YOU IN
tisnre for the valuable space in your pa
m, remain yours truly, ~
Walter Reiffert,
Secretary Cotton Growers Association.
Address delivered before the cotton plant
a. convention at Victoria, Texas, Octobe r
H. 1895. on the cotton boil weevil, by G. II.
Tyler Townsend.
Mr.. Chairman, Gentlemen am very
much pleased TO have the opportunity OF
representing the United States department.
Il agriculture in this convention and to
,iiress you on the subject of the cotton
bol weevil, for the discussion of which
subject this conversion has been called.
As many OF you are aware, the department
has had me in the weevil-inf ted districts
VI Texas great part of the time during
he last four years, for the purpose OF
Studying this subject; and | wish 10 say
that have given 1t my most careful at
tsltion during that time, and my unquall-
fld statements that / may make to you.
yoa may be sure are absolutely correct.
The United States department of aericul-
iure has. from the start, taken the liveliest
and keenest intensst in the subject OF the
cotton boil weeyil and has left no stone uu-
turned 10 get al the bottom of the matter
AID determine the best preventive meas
Tres and remedies to be used against this
hsec.
ABOUT fourteen years ago DR.. Edward
Palmer, who Was then collecting plants
% Mexico for the department OF agrlcul-
tlre sent 10 the apartment. from the Mex
isan state OF CoahU,la. specimens OF cotton
oolS infested with the cotton weevil, with
~ report that the insect injured cotton
10 that country. This was tbs first knowl-
ecge that the department had OF the in
!urous nature OF the insect.
ina cotton weevil Is a native of the low
RIOS ,of Mexico and Central America. and
Its original range, like that OF many other
topical rang;. no doubt. extended uu the
Mexican gulf coast through Tamaulipas TO
ns lower Rio Grande. 1t is therefore
quite probable that the report OF its oc-
euIrence in Matimoros in 1851 Is correct.
Many tropical Mexican insects reach the
NO Gfande in the neighborhooi of Browns
.l@' and have even recognized soma OF
saese tropical insects in the vicinity OF
epeno, which is probably about the north
Sn Emit OF ransa Of the hardest OF them.
In Mexico have myself found the boil
weeyll IN cotton in the States OF Coahuila,
iamaulipas, Vera Cruz. Taoasco and Yucca
sn, and in the lsthmus OF Tehuantepec /;
winch is on the Pacific coast. | found il
paracularly abundant breeding in wild
c1on in the hot lowland of Tabasco in
southern Mexico. A year ago it reached
,os tag'na district around Torreon, which
. tne largest and most important cotton
.eiion OF all Mexico. 1t was reported to
vssur at Monclova, Coahuila, as early as
ih'. We thus see that il was found prac-
Hahy all over Mexico wherever cotton Is
grown. "
inc Texas cotton fields we're doubtless
aalS'ed from the lower Rio Grands.
A,oush see1 for planting, or seed cotton
w., Mihs Drought from that region, as we have
w seen that the lower Rio Grandc was
nouaoiy embraced in the original ranga
Tue species. Just when it began to
s,1ead north 1t is not now possible to say,
~ y was first reported to the department
nv.n fexas in the last summer of 1891,
.on somewhere from Beevillc. Ii now OK
~ ~a.s north to somewhere beyond the line
ne southern Pacific railway. and east
NJ ns v.rinsty OF Wharton having gradu-
sW spread over this area in the last four
s,' u is continuing to spread in this
i, NV nut what its ultimate limits will be
.hs., IMPOSSIBLE TO say. though the prob
sun,,ts are that it will not prove SERIOUS
I-Mws ""e'e N''"''e' '''''''
aae United States department of sgri-
~u,e has followed the insect carefully,
through myself and one or two other
k...r mas determined the habits of the
M. and the best remedies for it, and
S,cr .u,ea in this way all the informa-
nave on the subject. This infor-
6ls, ~ on lie history, habits and rene
's g now follows
n .otlon weevll passes the cold months
81 ',a'ef in any sheltered places that It
~. Hnu, either in weeds and rubbish in
edges of fields. on roadsldes or
IN. we OF timber. With the first warm
I'M -, =, me opening spring the adult wee
hcr,s at nave survived the winter come
4, shd seek the volunteer cotton plants
h. as these have produced squares
lewis begin feeding on them and de-
kysr Nneir eggs In them. and they have
kno,. oesa known to feed on the tender
k.er ~ lear buds before the squares ep-
kn * cue or two generations are proiuc
sasse volunteer plants. the weevils then
kot,o, ns from the volunteer TO the planted
9 squares. W
hsn,' length OF time taken for the develop
kbar, " me insect from egg to wecvil Is
m -FOUR weeks. There are thus from
Sea.o, ven generations produced in single
|rts,.., one weevl will deposit eggs at
),n,h extending over a considerable
kf,i oi time. probably from one to sew
.s.sxs, so that by midsummer various
q sa,,sohs are so mixed that they can not
ktass. separately in the field. for all
Adplt =. the insect, from egg 20 rupa an
line are are tp9rf dpund TO occur at the sans
kesr,,. "ncSi ~ bolls begin TO form tNe
he-i,n.. attack them also. this being es-