Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1904-05-20
The Boil Weevil Fiaht.
4 late Washington dispatch, dis

Work has already begun, Under the
direction of the field agents of the di-
vision of entomology OF the bureau OF
plant industry of the department Of
agriculture, seeking means for fight
ing the cotton boil weevil. Congress
realized the danger to the cotton iu-
dustry in this pest when the appropria-
tion of s500,O00 was made for the pur
pose of fighting it.
Fifteen stations have been selected
In Texas, where cotton will be cult.
waited under the direction of the spe.
cial men In the employ of the depart.
ment, and the work of the weevil with
the growth Of the cotton plant will be
closely watched and recorded. In the
meantime investigation Is being made
into the origin of, the insect in Mex.
leo to ascertain, II possible, whether
it has natural enemy which may be
introduced into Texas. The discover
les of the investigation so far ad-
vance little hope for its ultimate de-
struction.
There is in press now, however,
bulletin of 116 pages, dealing entirely
with the weevil. 1t will be issued
soon and distributed to. the growers
and planters in the infested area. it
| is prepared under the direction of
Field Agents w. E. Hunter and w. j.
| Hinds and Is said to be most com
plete treatise. The following extract
from the bulletin relating to the pros.
poets of the spread of the insect is
believed to be of special interest at
this time.
That the great cotton growing sec
tion of Mississippi may not escape in
vasion is serious question to contem-
plate. The extract referred to reads
as follows:
"The Investigations of the life his.
| tory of the weevil have indicated that
the most important elements in limit
| ing the spread of the insect-namely
winter temperatures-in this case Of
fer no assurance that the pest will
soon be checked. For The past ten
|
conditions have interfered, 1t has ad-
vanced annually a distance of about
fifty miles. The insect Is undoubtedly
changing its habits and adapting itself
| to climate conditions in new regions
that 1t is invading. lt,i is undoubted.
ly true that it has acquired an ability
to Withstand more severe frosts than
occurred in the vicinity of San An
tonic in 1895. Except in few partic-
ulcr regions, however, it does not
seem that the continued spread will
be as rapid as it has been. The coun-
try between Gonzales county and the
Red river Is practically a continuous
cotton field and the prevailing winds
have undoubtedly favored the north
ward spread of the insect. Similar
conditions will now favor rapid ex-
tension into the Red river valley in
Louisiana, and likewise there seems
no doubt that the spread will be rapid
in the Yazoo valley in Mississippi
but in most other situations through.
out the belt the cotton fields are
smaller and more isolated than is the
case in Texas consequently it is to pc
supposed that the spread OF the pest
will be retarded somewhat.
"Basing estimates on careful study
of the distance the boil weevil has
travelled each year, as well as upon
some attention that has been paid to
the means whereby it reaches new ter
ritory, it seems safe to predict that in
from fifteen to eighteen years the pest
will be found throughout the cotton
belt. During the time it has been In
Texas there has been no tendency
toward dying out. and in South Texas
the pest Is practically as troublesome
except in so far as 1t is affected by
changes in managing the crop, as Il
was in 1895. In Mexico, where it has
existed for much longer period, 1t is
apparently as plentiful as ever. Care
full attention which has been paid to the
study Of parasites and diseases, as
well as temperatures unfavorable tt
the insect, has failed to reveal any
prospect that it will ever be much less
troublesome than now. There will
nevertheless, be seasons from time
to time in which the damage will be
much less than normal Climatic con
ditions will undoubtedly cause TEN
porary diminution of the numbers O
the pest in certain localities. In Texas
these conditions have given rise al
most. every year to the supposition OF
the part of the planters that the In
sects have died out. Whenever Sc
ries of years of scanty rainfall is fol
lowed by one of normal precipitation
the. weevil will temporarily be com
paratively unimportant. The mos
disastrous seasons will be those II
which the rainfall is excessive ant
planting unavodably thrown late.
"The fact that the insect is rathe
rapidly adapting itself to conditions
IN the United States that are quit,
diverse from those of its native hom'
leads to the supposition that it woulc
experience but little difficulty il
adapting itself to climate conditions
wherever cotton may be grown Thi
probability of the spread Of the weevi
outside Of the United States is in
creased by the fact that cotton sect
for planting purposes is frequentl!
shipped from the United States to va
iious parts of the globe. There il
nothing whatever to prevent weevil
; that may happen to be sacked will
cotton seed from being carried lon.
distances on shipboard.
LauderdaIe's Big Strawberry Crop.
Home grown strawberries hav'
been on the market at Ripley abou
two weeks, ard the prospects for
big crop are said to be fattcring
although the cool weather and ex
cessive rains will cause them to b
somewhat late, Last week the frs
carload was shipped from Curve, tn
center Of the crop in the county, anC