The southern sentinel. (Winnfield, La.) 1883-1910, 1904-06-16
FARMER AND PLANTER.
THE NEW BOIL wEEvIL.
How Poison II Applied and the Help
Il WIN give N Destroying
the Pest.

" XIII the army worm, is le3dlng IN the
work. Poisoned cotton has no live
weevil left on 1t, but there are dead
ones found under it.
Poisoning is simple. Paris green OF
guaranteed purity Is put in sack
made OF eight ounce osnabnrg, and
this sack tied to stick, is shaken over
the young cotton having wcevil on it
1t must be done when the wind is not
blowing. The wesvils are hungry fo-
fresh food after q winter of fasting
and they feed upon the tender bud"
and the stems of young leaves until
the squares come. These leaf parts
are easily busted with poison and will
kill the weevils within "a hours after
eating. We watched, under q micro
scope. a weevil busily gouging
trench with his DILL. He was working
on . tender leaf stem and bent to the
work most earnestly, succeeding in
cutting hole one-half inch long and
one sixteenth deep and wide. Dead
weevils may continue to be found for
four o: six days after the cotton has
been properly poisoned. The cotton
should be freshly poisoned every week
or oftener, until fresh weevils quit
coming to the cotton or the plants be-
gin to form squares. When the squares
begin to form, poison will have little or
no effect.
Apply enough green to show plainly
on the foliage. 1t should be put on
when no wind is blowing. Poisoning
early in the season means that the
farmers can reduce the winter broods
now coming from their hiding places,
and protect cotton to large extent.
cultural methods" # may entirely
take the place Of picking up squares or
picking OF the weevil which has proved
SO expensive. Early poisoning will en-
able the cotton to mature ahead Of the
great swarm OF late summer weevils
especially IL given thorough midsum-
mer cultivation. Paris green may not
be the best poison, hut it is certainly
reliable. The entire method is cheap
ard farmers can put it into use at
once. On small cotton half pound of
Paris green per acre is sufficient This
does not solve the bell weevil problem,
but 1t will help to solve it.
With long winters in north Texas
and Paris green to kill q part Of the
first crop appearing in spring, we have
a new opportunity to fight the weevils
and run them out of north Texas.
Cotton growers must wake up to this
new situation and make the fight. The
United States government appropriat-
ed q quarter Of q million dollars will,
which to fight the weevil. The gov
eminent agents are actively at work.
But this great work can not be done
unless intelligent farmers and business
men give the state and national ex-
perts their cordial cooperation.
When the weevil reaches the Red
river counties 1t will go straight
Hhrough the Arkansas and Louisiana
Valleys to the Mississippi cotton valley
lands, according to the views OF all
experts. Here the cotton crop OF the
south hangs by thread. The states
east OF US are interested in this fight
to crowd back the weevil. from north
Texas. as much or more than from
east Texas, and will lend us their sup
port, II need be, with the United States
department Of agriculture
County meetings should be held in
Texas at once and these facts d.s-
cussed. In these mass meetings new
facts about poisons and blotting out
wecvil on freshly-infested farms can
be fully discussed. Resolutions call
ing on Secretary Wilson for the help
of the United States department OF ag-
riculture can be adopted, carrying as
surances of intelligent cooperation be-
tween the people and the government
ofYicials. Call the Texas legislature In
special session, a. did Louisiana, II
need be. Certainly this Is the first OPP
portunity to check the northward
march Of the weevil. VIII our people
fight the pest?
Consider these facts: ~ In north
Texas the winters are colder and
longer, resulting In fewer generations
of new weevils in summer and . much
smaller crop Of weevils that come
through the winter; CD the weevl has
been noticeably checked In his travels
northwSrd for two years, = statement
to which DR.. Hunter assents; go By
use Of poison we can further reduce the
north Texas hibernated weevil: 90
I.ouisiana has cradicated the weevil
from two parishes; t5) the Red river
valley Of Texas, II once infested BY the
weevel, its introduction into Louisiana
and Mississippi will be soon accom-
plished by natural agencies.-1exas
Farm and Ranch.
WHATS THE USE7