Fitzgerald enterprise. (Fitzgerald, Ga.) 1895-1912, 1904-06-21
Gut TON BOIL ,WEEV|L
One Of the Present Great Pests
of Cotton Growers.
WIDESPREAD RAvAcEs

Interesting Article From the Pen of
William Newell, State EntomoIo.
sist on the Mexican Boil WeeviI.
Measures for Its Suppression, Etc.
In December, 1908, the State Depart.
nent OF Agriculture published a short
article upon the Mexican Boil Weevil
which was widely distributed. So
many requests have recently been re-
csiVed regarding this serious pest OF
cotton that it is felt that a more de-
tailed account OF the insect will at
present prove of interest to our farm
ers.
The Mexican Boil Weevil has during
the past year (1903) caused a very
heavy loss to the cotton growers or
Texas. This loss for the season is
estimated by DR.. Howard, OF the Unit
ed States Department of Agriculture,
at approximately $2500O,O00. This
represents the loss to the planters,
but the total loss to manufacturers,
transportation companies and business
men doubtless reaches as much as
500, 100000. The extreme probabili-
ty that the insect will eventually reach
all sections Of the cotton growing area
in the United States, and that it is
likely to be distributed in the trans
portatiOn of cotton seed and other az
Ticutural products, makes it OF spe-
cial interest to all cotton planters.
All hope Of exterminating the in
sect has been abandoned, as it has al
ready spread over a territory which
produces about one-third the cotton of
the United States. Aside from it's
occurrence in Texas. the pest is also
found in Mexico and Cuba The first
record of its damage to cotton dates
back to 1856, when it appeared as a
pest OF cotton In the state of Coahuila
IN Mexico Its raVages increased for
several years until the culture OF cot
ton was entirely abandoned in tht
hope OF discriminating the pest. About
twenty-five years alter cotton culture
was again commenced, but the Weevil
still persisted and soon did as much
damage as before. The WeeYil gradu-
ally spread toward the Texas border.
and as early as 1888 or 1889. had ap-
peared near Matamoras, Mexico. near
the mouth of the Rio Grande river and
opposite Brownsville, Tex The Rio
Grande river, which is wide stream
at this point, seemed to check the
WeeviPs northward movement for q
time, but in 1892, it appeared near
Brownsville on the Texas side of the
river 1t is, Of course. possible that
individuals were blown across the riy-
er by winds, or even flew across. but
in the light of knowledge since ac-
CURED, it seems more than probable
that the weevils were brought across
the river in unginned cotton or in cot
ton seed Now the country around
Brownsville is not a cotton-groWing
section of great Importance. and had
the culture of cotton been entirely
stopped in that section for three or
four years, the weevil could. in all
probability, have been exterminated.
Inc Government entomologists in
1894 ccunseled the Texas legislature
to take the necessary steps towards
wlplng out the insect, while this was
stlll possible, but this advice was dis
regarded. Many similar cases may
be cited where states nave failed to
make adequate appropriations for con-
trolling insect pests and diseases,
while these were still confined to
small areas, yet when later on the pest
had caused widespread damage and
covered large areas big appropriations
have been made in a vain attempt to
Egemedy the trouble which could have
been SC cheaply prevented in the first
plac.
In 1894 the weevil appeared at
Alice and San Diego, Tex, on the Mex
lean National Railroad Its spread
subsequently has been at an average
rate Of about 80 miles per year, un-
til at present it covers nearly all the
cotton growing area of Texas and has
reached the boundaries of the Indian
Territory Cn the north and Louisiana
on the east. 1t has, in fact, already
appeared at two or three points in
the latter state That this spread
will continua until all parts Of the cot
ton.growing area in this country are
reached, there seems no question. The
problem confronted is indeed a ma
tional one, Not only are the plant
ers and business men in the infested
territory affected, but even the cotton
mills of New England and of the ole
world must sooner or lateEfeel the e.
fects of the increased price of cotton
as result OF short crops due to the
weeyll attacks. So also Will the Gus
tomer-the man or woman who wears
cotton Clotning-f6el tie Increased
cost of cotton goods regardless OF