The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1902-08-03
THE BOIL WEEyIL PEST.
Prof. Mally Finds Ravages Of The
Insect Alarming.
INFESTED DISTRICTS INJURED MORE
Late Rains Have Forced the Wcevll from
Bottoms to Uplsnds and Its Work 10
Concentrating.

College station Texas. August 2--Under
date OF July 81 Prof +. w. Maily writes
President David T.. Houston OF the Agri-
cultural and Mechanical college as FOL
lows:
Replying to your favor which is just at
hand, beg TO state that the boil weeyii
situation certainly has gotten worse since
/ wrote you In June. The natural spread
has been greater, and then, too. the recent
excessive rains have developed special con-
ditions which have caused what might be
termed a forced summer migration greater
than is natural or normal. For that reason
the territory IN which the weevils may now
be found Is certainly very materially great
er. OF course you understand that the In
hux into these new counties is not great
enough yet to have inflicted serious injury,
but their presence and the Injurious effects
will be evident within the next thirty days.
THE injury in the infested district,
which outlined TO you in my former let
ter, has been even greater than / estl'
mated. 1t 10 hardly credible, and to me
is entirely incomprehensible, that many
planters should have been 80 sangulne all
along In face of facts which we're patent
10 every observer. am getting daily re-
ports from planters now who admit tnat
their crops are practically destroyed. VINO
three weeks ago were unwilling 70 concede
that there was any danger. The develop
ments which he now comedies could not
have originated during this time and simply
shows that the warning l gave was strictly
scinetnc and based on what the actual
facts at my command Justified.
Another factor Is very important at this
time. The worst weevn districts were con-
fined TO the rank rich bottom land cotton
plantations At this writing however
these bottom plantations are under water
by the tens Of thousands of acres and the
weevils have been given a forced migration
to the upland farms. For this reason not
only is the cotton in the bottoms ruined
but the weevil pest is forced to the up
land cottoa, where their enforced concen-
tration will make short work OF the fruit
production of the plant from this on out TO
the end of the season.
MANY reporters have confused the work
OF the bon worm with that of the weevil.
This makes very little difference, however
as related to the effect on the crop, Tor the
boil worm is capable or and actually ID
doing as much havoc IN some Of the lend
ing cotton counties IN the northern cotton
areas as the boil weevrls. This boil worm
injury and attack will be worse this season
than usual owing to the rainy season al
this time, which is usually dry. and much
10 the disadvantage or the boil worm
Then, too, the corn crop In which the july
brood usually has had time TO mature, wal
cut short by the drouth preceding. AM
hence one brood Of the boil worms has beef
forced TO the cotton plant much earle
tnan usual. For that reason there Will b.
one more generation OF the pest I'm the cot
ton this year, and the injury will be yer.
considerably more than ordinary This In
formation applies more especially 20 IN
North Texas cotton area outside or tn
weevil district and is the feature in M
consideration Of the facts which lead IN
10 make the abatement that the crop O
that northern district, while promising bt
fore the foods, now 10 really In great da1
ger of a sudden drop. We are all nope
full that the Texas crop will be kept Il
fl volume by the North Texas farmers
but / fear that boil worms will be Il COZ
siderable factor in that regime before fros
strikes the last blooms.
THE above are all factors to considC
separate and apart from the inundation
thousands OF acres of cotton In the Brazc
bottom. Tho water has already stoo
on many OF these plantations a surrcieI
time TO ruin the plants. Myself ana assis
ants viii take boats and traverse many
these in the next few days. getting foe
data on the working OF the weevils
times such az are upon the crop at IN
writing. Fred w. MaIly.