The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1904-07-07
COTTON BOIL WEEVIL
One of the Present Great Pests
of Cotton Growers.
ITS WIDESPREAD RAvAGEs.

Measures for Its Suppression Etc.
In December, 1908, the State Depart
nent OF Agriculture published a short
article upon the Mexican Boil Weeyil.
which was widely distributed. So
many requests have recently been re-
ceived 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 $4,000, 900 This
represents the loss to the planters.
but the total loss to manufacturers,
transportation companies and business
men doubtless reaches as much as
| $10O,O00,000. 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 ag.
ricultural products, makes it of spe
cial interest to all cotton planters.
All hope Of discriminating 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 its
| occurrence in Texas, the pest is also
| found III Mexico and Cuba. The first
record of its damage to cotton dates
back to 1856, when it appeared as
! pest of cotton in the state of Coahuila
in Mexico. It's ravages increased for
1 several years until the culture of cot.
ton was entirely abandoned in the
hope OF exterminating 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 weevil 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 a wide stream
/ at this point seemed to check the
| weevil's northward movement for a
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 riv-
er by winds, or even flew across. but
in the light of knowledge since ac.
! quired, 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.
! The Government entomologists in
1894 counseled the Texas legislature
| to take the necessary steps towards
wiping out the insect, while this was
! still possible, but this advice was dis
| regarded. Many similar cases may
| be cited where states have failed to
make adequate appropriations for con-
trolling insect pests and diseases.
while these were still confined to
small All las, yet when later on the pest
| had caused widespread damage and
| covered large areas, big appropriations
i have been made in a vain ATTEMPT to
remedy the trouble which could have
been SO 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 so miles per year, I'M
til at present it covers nearly all the
cotton-growing area of Texas and has
reached the boundaries of the Indian
| Territory on 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 continue until all parts of the cot
ton-growing area in this country are
reached, there seems no question The
| problem confronted is indeed 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 old
world must sooner or later feel the Ell
fects Of the increased price Of cotton
as result of short crops due to the
weevil attacks. So also will the Gus
| tomer-the man or woman who wears
cotton clotning-feel TIE Increased
cost of cotton goods regardless OF
whether he may live in Texas, Geor-
gia, New York or London. The re,
cent high prices prevailing for cotton
(although these high prices can be at
tributed to the work of the boil wee
vii IN part only have stimulated Eu-