The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-12-24

Worth, and at that time I had not been through the boil weevIl district. Since that letter I have travelled over 400 miles In Texas. greater part of this trip hav- ing been made through sections affected by the boil weevil the greatest pest that the farmers of this country have been called upon to combat.
 But before taking up the boil weevil want to modify and explain one state ment which I made in my fast letter, which was that the farmers of Texas had made more cotton this year than they would harvest. Now this is true only in isolated sections, mostly in the northern part of the state, and even here there is l less cotton in the fields now than there was last March-left over from last years crop, and while there will be cotton that | will go to waste in the fields. yet
 amount will be small as compared with l last years waste.
 Conditions Change.
 But when we get into the boil weevil 1 section conditions change at once, for there is no cotton in the fields. nor has there been much. Now one that simply reads of this pest in the papers has but ] little conception of the real damage. In fact the condition is a hard one to realize, 1 and one has to travel here in order to get i true impression of the situation Why, the situation is simply appalling. 1 was shown fields of fifty acres or more that had not produced one bale of cottca There is desoation and gloom on every hand. The people seem completely de- moralzed. dumb founded and out of all heart and at a loss as to what to do next.
 Some farmers have gone up into the Tzl I'll. 1frt. move, for it is only a question of time when the pest will overrun that section. l visited several towns that usually ship 1 from eight to ten thousand bales of cot ton annually that will not have two thousand bales to ship this season. Through the infested district the crop is all gathered; the work of the gins fof this season is over and most of them are 1 shut down. Many of them perhaps are closed for all time, or for years to come. i at least. The whole country has a still ness a quiet, that seems like Sunday. for it seems that many of these people know no activity on the farms only as they have cotton to work with
 The Boil Weevil.
 Well had a great desire and curiosity to see one of the dreaded ministers, so made visit to the Agricultural and Mechanical college, at College Station. l
 
 vention in Washington city, when he in- vited me to pay him a visit found chs president busy with board meeting. so I was turned over to Prof. John Craig, who have charge of the live stock depart ment. and who took special pride in showing me around over the fine dairy herds, hogs and other stock, as well as the buildings, pasture crops, etc., etc. After this I was turned over again to l President Houston. and after a very nice | dinner, which l was In just the right state to enjoy, the president commenced to show me around, and one of the first things was the samples of boil weevil. 1 When I examined them I must confess | that my spirit began to sink and I saw at once what a problem we have before us In our efforts to destroy this pest. have l been something of an entomologist for years and have had quite a varied ex perience in fighting insects in the open | field and I know something of the great disadvantage we are subject to in such fights, and what advantages the enemy has over us. They eat while we sleep, and multiply faster in many cases than | we can destroy.
 How Boil Weevils Feed.
 When I found that this boil weevil be- longed to that family of insects known as sap suckers, or insects which do not feed on the foliage or by eating. but by simply licking the sap from the plant. saw at once what a problem the farmer had before him, such insects are hard to | reach with insecticides and as they do not eat but suck the sap it is almost if not entirely impossible to poison them. Now the state of Texas and the general government. too, have made large ap- propriatons of money for the extermina- ton of the pest, but the question Is where | is the work to commence? Where s starting point? This boil weevil has no fear of money. This Is one case where money is not a power. The boil weevil will stay will multiply. will continue to distroy the cotton crop, until like the l grass-hopper of the west, the old hard | shell Colorado potato beetle of the vest it has run it's course, and passes by, or until, like the potato bug, some other bug will come and drive them out.
 Yes, they will continue to live and eat and all the money in the United States treasury cannot hinder or scare them. 1 thought like many others that the move ment in other states to quarantine against | them was rather a scare, but 1 have l changed my opinion and now favor every | legitimate means and eternal vigilence in preventing their spread. An ounce of pre- vention is often more valuable than a pound of cure. But I realize again our helplessness. for no amount of legislation can prevent them from crossing state lines, rivers or borders.
 Problem is Hard.
 Now I do not want to be understood as being opposed to any and every legirnate | means that can be brought to bear for the | extermination of this pest, but at the same time know from a long experience 1 with insects what we are up against and can only wait and see where the use of this money is to begin. To use this mo- ney in paying the expenses of so-called ex- | perts to visit this infected district will be only a waste of time and money for we | have experts here all over the state and | especially so at the A. and M college of l Texas who are but too familier with | these insects and the distraction they have wrought.
 l Of all the methods I have heard set forth for the extermination of the boil weevil. none appeals to me stronger than thorough cultivation. First gather and turn all the stalks both cotton and corn as we'll as all other rubbish where they are likely to hide. then fall and winter plow | harrow and put the soil in high state Of 1 cultivation. plant good seed of the best | early varieties and push the crop from | start to finish-cultiyate regularly and 1 often. feel warranted in saying that If | the farmer cannot win out by this method he cannot by any other that has yet been | offered. In connection with this l would | use some high grade fertilizer which would hasten the maturity of the crop
 Another Way.
 But there is still another and a more .rl.s.