The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1904-12-16
EFFORTS MADE TO CHECK THE
SPREAD OF THE PEST.
Dr. Hunter Explained the Work OF the
Goycrnment-SeyeraI Addresses
Made Before the National COTTON
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES tariaTnan
Made a Short TaIk-A Bin Intro
duced I'm the House for ss25.oo0 TO
Investigate h Pest

| sessions OF the National Cotton Con-
| vention were largely taken UP with
| speeches by prominent delegates and ois-
| cussions Of the boll weevil problem.
! Probably the most important addresses
were those of Dr. ". -. Hunter, CT
the bureau of entomology. department
| of agriculture. ann Professor J. Il.
! Council, editor of the Farm n Ranch
nf Dallas, Texas.
At the afternoon SESSION Governor
vardaman Of mississippi appeared on
| the stage He was greeted with ap-
| plause and addressed the delegates
briefly
He had no doubt but that the federal
| government would lend its assistance
to any proper method to cneck the raw
ages of the weevil. not as a gift. but as
Il matter of right, for he said, the
southern states contributed their just
share Of taxation Tor the administration
| of the national government.
The first session was called to order
| by Permanent Chairman Peters omp
| ly at 10 o'clock. He introduced Dr.. L.
| Howard. chief Of the bureau of ento-
! mology.
| DR.. Howard said he was here as the
1 personal representative. of Secretary
| Wilson and he spoke Of the interaCt
the secretary is taking in the fight on
| the boil weeviL Mr.. Howard briefly
| reviewed the history OF the insect in
Texas and Louisiana fields and said
that DR. w. d. Hunter. who has mad
so much valuable. Dract cal experience
in combating the spread CT the pest
| would explain the work Of the govern
| ment. more fully. Dr.. Hunter was in
troduced and spofe as fellows:
| DR.. W.. D. Hunter who has charge
OF the boil weevil Investigations of the
United States Department OF Agricul-
ture spoke upon The Boil Weev.l Stu
alton" He said in part:
| The a of the boil weevil have
affected not only the cotton producers
| of Texas as well as of the United
| States, but have also disturbed the gen.
eraI economic conditions throughout the
| South, and have caused disturbances
in every quarter of the globe where
| American cotton is used in the factories.
| 1t has caused every person in the world,
who uses cotton in any form to pay
more. for it than formerly. The pest
was first known to occur in Texas in
the vicinity of Brownsville about 1892.
| Since that date it has advanced annual
~ 40 or so miles, and there seems no
probability that it will not eventually
reach all parts of the south where, cot
ton is produced, if it does not indeed
reach other cotton producing countries.
At present the infested territory covers
practically all of the cotton producing
countries in Texas and the larger pOr-
ton. Of six parishes in Louisiana. Num-
erouS reports regarding the occurrence
of the pest outside Of the states that
| have been mentioned have been investi-
gated and found to be erroneous.
Careful Investigations of the life his
tory of the pest reveal few factors that
seem to indicate that 1t will die out as
has been the case with some of the
injurious insects. although it is not be-
yond the range of possibilities that
some such an occurrence may eventual
ly take place. The only suggestion that
has been offered towards checking the
invasion of the pest is in the estab-
lishment Of a wide zone of land il.
which the cultivation of cotton should
be prohibited. On account of the many
difficulties in the way of such a pro-
cedure and on account of the reasonable
degree of success that has attended eff
forts toward controlling the pest in
Texas, it seemed doubtful if such means
would be justified.
The effects of the a of the boil
weevil in Texas may be summarized as
follows:
1. 1t has during the past five years
caused q loss of at least 80 millions of
dollars.
2. 1t has increased decidedly the area
required to produce a bale of cotton.
8 It has practically destroyed the
credit OF the small farmer who has
been in the habit of depending upon cot.
ton, although farmers who have diver
sined their crops are still able to OBJ
tain necessary credit.
4. 1t has had the effect Of driving
large numbers of negroes from the
cotton lands of the state. Negroes lend
themselves poorly to the notifications
IN the system Of producing the staple,
which are necessary on account of the
ravages Of the pest. Increased cultiva-
ton. to which negroes can be brought
only with great difficulty is one OF the
great essentials in producing a crop.
5. 1t has forced a diversified ton Of
crops, and in this way is considered by
many parties as q beneficent influence.
While this may be the ultimate result
of the work of the boil weevil, the de-
preston that comes from the changes
necessary before a complete system Of
Investigation may be followed is ap-
parent to all parties who have investi-
gated the matter in Texas.
It will be noted that cotton produc-
ton in Texas has, decreased annually
with the exception Of one year.. 1900
since the invasion of the pest. although
the reduction has not, on the whole,
been very decided. This absence of a
great falling off in production is due to
two principal factors, ID that there
has been a considerable increase in
acreage, and (2) following the sugges-
ton of the Bureau of Entomology Of
the United States Department of Agr1-
culture and their own experience the
planters of Texas are becoming familiar
with the proper system that must be
followed to mitigate the damage nv the