The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1904-02-11
rI,AND NECK N G, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY NO g.
Mexican Cotton
Boil Weevl.

10. Howard in Youths Companion.
EARMERS and frult-growers haYe
L been fighting injurious insects
ever since there were any farmers and
fruit-growers.
It would seem 40 If, after these many |
years of experience, they would have
learned good remedies for every insect
pest.
They have learned many, and the
scientific men who are constantly work.
Ing on this very important problem
have found excellent economic means
to detsroy the great majority OF the in
furious insects. But every few years
there appears some new insect pest,
which Is so strong and go prolific, or
which lives In such a peculiar way that
it lie able to do enormous damage, to
destroy millions of dollars worth OF
crops, and sometimes to alarm more
than single country and affect the re-
Iations OF many civilized countries.
A few years ago the San Jose scale,
a minute creature which Injuries frnit
trees, spread all over the Unitad States,
and occasioned the passage of ed,cts
and laws in many foreign countries by
which American fruits and fruit-trees
were practically barred from interna-
tlonal commerce.
And now another OF these great In
sect scourges 10 affecting the cotton
crop of Texas, and threatens to spread
all through the cotton states. It is
partly due to the great damage which
this insect has done that the price of
cot ton last year went up to almost un-
precesent figures, so that cotton
mills have been obliged to stop, thous-
ands Of operatives have been d,schsrg-
cd, and sne wages ri Thousands more
have bean reduced.
THE COST OF THE WEEvIL.
Eighty per cent. OF the cotton crop
OF the world is raised by America, aud
of the cotton raised in the United
States Texas produces nearly fourth.
All the richest cotton counties OF Tex
as have been invaded by the weevil,
and the loss in cotton destroyed by it's
depredations the past summer has sure
~ heon as great as fifteen million Col
lars.
spurred on by the high price Of cot
ton and by the prospective danger OF a
great lessening of the American crop,
foreign nations are making every effort
to raise their own cotton. The Eng
lish colonies are particularly active.and
the German colonies, as we'll. Russia is
also making every effort to push the
growing of cotton within her territory
Other nations are doing the same. The
trade balance of the entire world may
soon be affected if efficient remedies
for the pest are not discovered and
used.
| The weevil itself is an insignifi
(cant creature, little gray snout-beetl'
about quarter of an inch long, but i
breeds very rapidly, multiplies enor
mously in the course of summer, and
works during the critical period OF 1t
life absolutely protected from any ap
plication that could be made to th
cotton plant.
Slowed away In old corn stalks, i
clumps of grass, under the bark OF tree
and logs, and in all sorts OF sheltere
places, the weevil passes the winte
Promptly as the cotton plant comes u
in the spring and carly GUNNER th
weeyils come forth, fly to the plant
and as soon as the first "squares"-u'
known buds-are formed they lay the
eggs In them. The young grub hatcl
es and destroys the forming fowe
causing the square to drop. The gru
changes to a pupa within the bud, an
the iull-grown weevil emerges soc
after.
When such of the flowers as escal
this first attack mature, and the cottt
boil forms, it is also pierced by Il
weevil's beak, an egg Is laid, and a
other grub begins to feed on tho int
rior OF the boil, destroying all q
forming cotton lint, reaching II
growth and changing to pupa Al
emerging as weevil. In this "
the insects increase in geometrical
ito until by late summer, they occ
in countless millions; often hardly
boil natures.
A bale of cotton contains from to
hundred and fifty to five hundr
pounds, and in former days to raise
bale or q bale and half OF cotton
the acre in the best parts OF Texas Y
almost a rule. Who're the weevil
made its appearance, however, it is
ten difficult to raise q bale OF cotton
, ten or even fifteen acres OF land.
AN INVADER FROM MEXICO.
: The weevil came to Texas from M
: leo, where, in certain places, it bad