Gilpin observer., 1904-02-04
Cotton Boil WeeviI.

The Mexican boil weevil. marching
eastward across the cotton belt, is rec
ognized as the greatest menace the
South has ever known. The desolatiOn
left by the civil war was hardly more
costly than the ravages of the tiny bug
will be within the next decade unless
something can be found to check its
progress.
Having spread over the cotton fields
of Texas 1t now stands at the border
line of Louisiana. and so great is the
alarm engendered by its approach in
that state that Governor w. w. Heard
issuing a call for a special session of
the legislature has just resulted in tht
appointment nf a commission of five
members charged with the waging OF
a systematic war on the pest. The
legislature appropriated $25,000 as
fund to be used by the commission
and provided Tor quarantine against
all Texas products and goods which
might bring the insect into the field
of Louisiana.
The Congress of the United States
has Just passed bill carrying an ap-
preparation of $250,000 to G-e expended
by the department of agriculture in
fighting the weevil, discovering meas
sures to lessen its harmfulness and en-
deavoring to find its special enemy in
the insect world, that it may be used
against it.
The legislature of Mississippi now ip
session. has notified Governor Heard, of
Louisiana, that il will shortly take up
the boil weevii question.
A reward of $50 900 has been offered
by the governor of Texas to the person
who discovers the way to rid the state
of the weevil. which it is estimated has
cost that state alone s100,00O,OC0 in the
last ten years In 1908 the damage
wrought by II amounted to $25,0o0 900.
A greater part of the honey sold in
this country never saw the inside OF a
beehive. A little dextro-glucose. lit
tie water, and little levo-glucose
makes pure, select table honey" This
is quicker than a bee can make the
2,625, 900 cells necessary to gathering a
pound of honey.
Within the next four months it is
planned by the government to place
fourteen federal inspectors of cattle
in Colorado and neighboring states. TO
stop the shipping of cattle infected
with "cattlescab," or mango" These
officials will at once mark out the
herds that are infected with mango"
and II any attempt is made t.. ship
such stock the shipments will be
stopped. unless the cattle are first
dipped"
The following sentence from recent
bulletin of the Department of Agricul-
ture teaches that fertilizers are un-
necessary on any farm land: 1T ap-
on ntut N
sufficient plant food for good crop
yield, that this supply will be indefi-
nitely maintained. and that this actual
yield OF plants adapted to the soil de-
pends mainly. under favorable climatic
conditions, upon the cultureal methods
and suitable crop rotation"
Colorado Is determined to be In the
beef finishing list OF states and is pal
pably dissatisfied with its present posi-
ton. Contention has been strenuously
made that the mountain region pos
sesses the ability at least to finish
enough beef to supply local needs. and
to demonstrate this Eugene Grubb and
w. l.. Carlyle. representing the Colo
RADIO Agricultural College. are In WASH
ington bent on securing an appropria-
tion. II cattle are to be fattened in
the inter-mountain country. small
grain must be the main reliance Of the
feeder. Already Colorado Is q NUT
ton making state, but depends on Me-
braska for the corn. without which
fedders have not yet managed to sue
cessfullp finish their stock. The cli-
mate of the mountain country makes
II an ideal feed lot location. Can the
experimenters at Fort Collins do the
rest Live stock World.