The Jimplecute. (Jefferson, Tex.) 18??-1907, 1904-12-17
SEVERAL SPEAKERS.
Addresses Were Listened to With
Closest OF Attention.

Shreveport La. Dec. 14.-Speeches
made before the boil weevil convention
were attentively listened to, Governor
Vardaman of Mississippi arrived. He
made few remarks, and was applaud
ed. He said he had no doubt the gov
eminent would lend its financial as
sistance to check the ravages Of the
pest.
DR.. Howard read the following tele-
gram from Washington:
"a bill appropriating s225,O0O for
further Investigations by the depart
ment of agriculture was considered IA
vorably Monday by sub committee
of the house Of representatives, and
will be considered by the full commit
tee on agriculture
Chairman Peters was Instructed to
send telegram of thanks to the sub
committee expressing the appreciation
of the convention for It's prompt ac-
ton in regard to the appropriation.
A telegram was also ordered to be
sent to Secretary Wilson for his ear
nest efforts in connection, with the ap-
preparation.
Many delegates clamored for recog-
milton to interrogate DR.. Hunter. One
member Of the convention asked es-
pecially about the use of the Guate-
malan ant, recently imported for the
purpose Of discriminating the weevil.
DR.. Hunter explained that 1t was not
generally known that the department
had secured not only this ant, but
many other parasites that are known
to be a deadly enemy Of the weevil.
He said his observations forced him
to conclude that but little Roadway
had been made through tsese channels.
The Guatemalan ant was certainly
factor In destroying the weevils, but
he was not ready to say that the latter
did not propagate more rapidly than
they were destroyed.
DR.. Hunter made the statement that
unless remedial action should be talk
en- within short time, it was his sin
cere belief that the cotton fields Of
Louisiana would be as numerously in
fected by weevil as at present obtains
in the devastated fields of Texas
Professor j. H. Cornell spoke of the
great loss to farmers by the ravages of
the pest, and asked If there was no
remedy to exterminate It. The scien-
tifc investigations of the state and
national entomologists, he said, have
thus far developed no specific remedy.
Professor Council said, as a remedy:
Let the state of Texas enact a law
similar to the one now operated in
Louisiana against the weevil, and re-
qulre that that all farmers shall burn
the cotton stalks on or before a day
to be set for each county by the au
thorities, providing a penalty for each
failure to destroy cotton early in the
season.
mot all the weevils In Texas would
be burned by thus Systematically burn
Ing the stalks although a large per
cent would be destroyed. The number
entering winter quarters would be de-
creased materially, and in southern
TeXas weevils escaping the fire must
starve for lack of food for period of
hye months, during which them they
would have no other natural food sup
ply or cotton squares In which females
could deposit their eggs"
Or. otto Gagzow opened the pro-
ceedings of the afternoon session by
reading paper on "The Worlds IN
terest in Cotton" He said: "Consid-
erlnS the cotton question, not only the
United States, but Germany and the
whole world. has an intense interest
In 1t. Germany is a great cotton con-
sumner, but we can never produce cot
ton In our country. A few years ago
we started cotton raising in our colo
MES but up to the present time the
growth, when compared with the i'm
mense production of America, is in
considerable. This great production
and your excellent methods are two
OF the great reasons why Germany
must learn from the United States how
TO cultivate cotton. / came td this
convention only as a learner. NOT az
an instructor" DR.. Gagzow said an old
enemy to cotton, the army worm had
been conquered, and he saw no reason
why the boil weevil should not be
e%terminated by cultural methods.
Several other papers We're read and
discussed.