The Tupelo journal., 1902-10-24

The winter brood goes out In the
spring and feeds on cotton alone. 1t
never eats anything but cotton. It
may, however, be found accidentally
IN acorns or in nearly any place, be-
cause they are so numerous. They do
not feed on peas and acorns. Many of
the weevil reported as growing in
peas, beans and acorns are not boil
weevil, though occasionally genuine
boil weevil are found in acorns.
Scientists have classified more than
a thousand species Of bool weevil.
During the early spring the cotton
weevil lives on foliage and not on
squares, and this is the proper time to
use the spray. This has suggested
the use of the early blooming cotton
for colonizing purposes in order that
the weevil may be located in a limited
district. For this purpose we find
h a Welborn's Perfection is superior
to all other varieties, as it furnishes
food for the weevil at the earliest pos
slble date. This colonizing cotton
should be planted upon the edges of
the fields and on banks of bitches,
but only good land should be used
on which to plant cotton. Prepare
ground required for this trap system
Just as well as for the regular field
crops. The small bolls and squares
can be picked up from these trap
rows much more successfully than
from general crop because of the
small amount of labor required. /
recommend systematic poisoning for
these trap rows.
The summer brood of weevil does
not appear until about July l, and it
is a fact that the winter brood does
not do any considerable amount of
damage, but they prepare for the
harmful July brood. From May IS to
she 25th l have sprayed cotton sue
'.essfully and prevented summer crops
of weevil by the use of three spray
ings. The trap cotton should be
sprayed one month in advance of the
regular crop, if the early variety men
toned is used.
The weevil can be controlled. but
it will never be e%radicated. 1t is a
delusion to suppose that it has ever
left a section where once it has gained
a foothold. 1t has advanced north
ward at the rate of so miles each year,
though in some cases it's advance is
FASTENED by the sale of weevil-infest-
ed cotton seed from boil weevil dis
tricts which are shipped into northern
localities. l can offer no hope for
those who depend upon the develop
meEt of a parasite to kill the weevil,
but call attention to the following
features which will permit the situa-
ton to be controlled sufficiently to
insure a good cotton crop every year
in any of the boil weevil counties.
First, begin the fall campaign against
the weeyil early. Second, practice
early planting with early maturing
varieties. Third, use wide rows with
trap rows around and outside the
fields.
Spraying late in the season does not
prevent the boil weeyil from doing his
deadly work, but there are some four
hundred varieties of insects that prey
upon cotton which singly are less de-
-~structive than the weevil, but in the
aggregate are often as harmful as is
this pest. Spraying does kill many of
these other varieties of insects and it
often pays to spray late in the sea-
son on their account ever when no
boil weevil is to be found.
In his discussion of the subject,
Prof. Mally threw down the gauntlet
to those who have failed to secure re-
suits by spraying, and of those pres
ent interested in the subject, he asked
that they read his reports closely and
then determine whether or not they
had consistently followed the direc-
tions therein contained. The state
ments and explanations appeared to
meet all of the inquiries of the cot
ton growers present and to give very
general satisfaction.-Texas Farm
and Ranch.