The St. Louis Republic., 1903-12-31


and unprecedented in tho-oGghnss5 but
no details have yet been pub.isced. In the
fall of 1902 Professor Mally resigned his
position and was called to take up the
work for the State.
GENERAL CULTURE METHODS.
'It has been generally recognized for
many years that general cultural methods
must be the principal means employed
against most of the insects affecting STA
pie crops Entomolosists have investi-
gated the life histories and in many cases
demonstrated by eapeusnce how tney
might be fought Never before, however,
SO far as / am aware, has a large acreage
Of land practically been rented and upon
1t a demonstration made OF the methods
advised. 1t has only been since the es-
tablishmeat OF these farms and perma-
nent laboratory in Texas that the Di-
vision OF Entomology has made decided
impression upon the cotton growers OF
the State, or indeed has thoroughly in
yestigaied the natural history and means
OF combating the weevil- This ssts a
new pace and shows new method in
,ne practical demonstration of results of
chronological research.
"Of the means OF controlling the pest
advocated by the division up to 1SoS, only
that of the fail destruction of the stalks
and thorough culture have proven to lie
of genera! value.
whether spraying with sweetened ar
senicals Is of any value In de stroying the
oyerwintered beetles on young catton in
spring l am unable 10 state from ny own
experiments. The weev.ls did not appear
in numbers sufficient to warrant spraying
in our fields this year until July. L then
sprayed. but with no effect That sweet
ened arsenicals are of NO value in killing
weeyils in summer or fail, even when
deprived of squares. 1 have proven again
both in the laboratory and field-
Indeed sweetening the poison with mo-
THE matter of the fall destruction Of
the stalks has not. however. been as gem
orally adopted by planters even In South
Texas as We might have wished or eX-
recfed Many ci.Gscs conspire against this
practice. The Div.s:or of Entomology has
rom the first advocated legislation max
Ing such destruction of the stalks COM
puls'ry: which wcpld also seem to be in
dorsed y Secretary Wilson In his last re-
port. T,l..t such legislation would be de-
sirdble IL Il could be enforced there can
be but little doubt. Whether 1t is possible
and constitutional 10 perfect an organiZa-
legislative question beyond the writer As
soon as IT has been thoroughly demon
strated that such fall work is of i'm
! portance and the planters realize it as
and earlv varieties; in short. when the
best public sentiment realizes the neces-
sity for such legislation. il may be possi-
Bile TO secure its enactment. From the en-
forceInent Of such possible legislation the
Southern eLtomClcgist may devoutly pray
tl,at he be allowed to wash his hands en-
tirely.
SPRAYS ARE VALUELEsS.
"Ah machines. sprays, noxtions, etc,
have proven Of little or no value, owing
to the habits Of the weevil: none are be-
but little promise In any of the ideas yet
brought forward. The Legislature of Tex
as has offered reward Of $1,000 for n
remedy for the weeyil, providing its ap-
which is so hedged around With provisos
that 1t IS decidedly improbable that it
Will be awarded. Furthermore. the method
must be given 70 the State and patent
rights forfei ed, SO that It is an exceed
ingly poor business proposition for the in
ventor. The possibility of the invention of
some spray or machine for destroying the
pest has done much TO delay the more
general adoption of the cultural methods
now agreed as being successful for avoid
ing injury The faith Of the average farm
er In the superhuman ability Of the SCI
enlist to devise new and unheard- of
| means Of combating such a pest is in
deed fatterins to the latter. but is dis
couraging when he appreciates the i'm
posSibiiity of meeting the expectations
| of the farmer, who Is slow to realize that
| remedy per sc is not necessary, and
who. though the entomoiogist NAV have
elucidated the habits of the pest and DEM
onstrated how profitable crop may be
grown. only SCOTS at him as a scientific
tneortst: because he cannot devise some
means for utterly exterminating the pest
With such conditions you are all familiar.
| able that any decidedly different means of
combating the boil weevil viii be ascer-
tanned other than notifications and per-
fections OF the cultural methods now ad-
Vised, unless there be a discovery of some
| physical. chemical or biological principle
which may be applied to the problem, but
| for the discovery of which the entomoI-
ogist certainly cannot be held responsible
The greatest task in fighting the boil
weevil Is. therefore. an educational one, in
bringing about better cotton culture and
more intelligent agriculture in general
upon an entomologist Is unfortunate, but
| 1t has been my CHIEF work for the last
year and has seemed the most fruitful
] appreciated by them.
INJURY IS EXTENSIVE.
'The actual injury done by this insect
has been the subject of much wild specu-
iatioD as well as serious study. Professor
Mally very conservative,y estimated it at
$s.2aS, IDS in 1902, basing his figures upon
! the production of 1900. Recently, at the
Texas Cotton Convention. Mr. W. d. Hum
ter estimated the loss this year at s15,-
00,oOo One prominent planter has been
quoted In the press as estimating the loss
this year at S60,000O0O.
In 1903 the injury has been extended.
particular which showed a decided in
crease in 1902 over 1899 having in 1902 16s-
4n bales; In 1898 suffered loss Of at
Teast one-fourth Of which was IS due % to- the he
boil worm The area injured by the wee
vii was also extended elsewhere. In gen.
eral the injury due entirely to the weevil
In the area previously injured was about
the same, though in many instances bet
ter crops were made. Excessive rainfall.
was. however. very favorable for injury
to be the same 445. $50 bales), and adding
to II the injury in the five counties above
mentioned. there was undoubtedly loss
OF 10000 bales in 1903 chargeable to the
|, boil weevil
Whether this is an oyerestimate or not
VIII appear upon receipt OF the census
report by counties for 1893.
NOT 4 TOTAL LOSS.
'D'his Is not. however. a complete loss by
any means, for were these 10000 bales
| now, on the market the price of cotton
as It was quoted yesterday. the highest
| in New York since 1875. according to
| the daily press. The Texas crop of 1903
has brought considerably more money
I into the State than that of 1S99 despite
| the decrease
But the benefit of this rise has not ac-
crued equally to all. about so or 60 per
crop and securing the entire benefit. while
35 or 40 per cent OF the acreage secured
| but half a crop. As there was a rise IN
loss therefore would be but 37is per cent
instead Of 50 per cent Of the crop on the
injured area OF approximately SIS, 100000.
THAT portion Of the State hitherto un-
injured yields roundly 100000 bales
Should 1t suffer the same loss as the ter
ritory now injured during the next few
years. the loss will be something appall-
ing. exceeding the loss due TO a single in
seer pesI In any State heretofore estimated
so far as fn aware.
"The weevil has now appeared in iso-
lated spots in Louisiana There seems no
reason why II should not spread to the
Mississippi and along the Gulf Coast
throughout the cotton belt. as other In
sects have done. When Ii reaches the
Mississippi bottoms where the rainfall Is
much greater than In Texas. 1t will be
much more difficult to combat than in
Texas. and the outlook Is by no means
pleasing for the planters of those sec
tione. IT Is high time that the planters of
the South commence to carefully study
and adopt every means of increasing the