The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1904-10-07
GINS SPREAD THE BOIL WEEv|LS.
Valuable Information Compiled by the Government
For the Thrifty Farmers Benefit

NV 4'hIlSH.dtj HttSEbD. A0OQ nave
Deen found 10 he upinfested.
The report then dwelIs upon the
experiments made by the Bureau Of
Entomology with reference to the pos
SibIlity OF destroying the pest by fumi-
Sat1on. 4 number Of fnmigation eX-
perlmentS were made, which are de-
tailed at great length in the report.
The conclusion drawn from these
trials is that the fumigatOn of cot
ton seed in bulk offers many Difficult.
ties. The adharing line spems TO form
a dense mass very imperyiOuS to the
commonly used fumigants. Moreover
the boil wCcvii seems unusually resist
ant to these agents.
1t IS also stated that the experiments
demonstrate that in gin machinery
cotton carried by the powerful sue
ton of the fan may strike indirectly
against the wire screen separator and
the weeylls contained may not be in
jured in the slightest degree.
The report then proceeds to discuss
the many devices that have been per
fected for cleaning cotton and i'm.
proving the staple. and incidenta ly
of great value in eliminating the boil
Wceyi.
The report concludes with the fol-
lowing summary OF recommendations
1t should lie understood complete
success in keeping the boil weevil out
Of cotton seed depends upon a com.
bination of the following recommen.
dations for the seed cotton storage
house, in addition to a combination of
recommendations for the gin house
proper. No one alone could be de.
pended upon. On account Of the great
seriousness of the boil weevil prob
lem the Importance of these recon.
mendations deserves the careful atten-
ton OF every ginner, and farmers
should realize that it is decidedly to
their advantage to have their cotton
ginned where the greatest care is
taken with the seed.
Where possible a separate seed
cotton storage house should be provid.
cd. In any case, the seed should be
stored in a building distinct from the
seed cotton storage house.
In the seed cotton storage house
should be installed special cleaner
or troopers, which, in addition to re-
moving many weevils, would facilitate
ginning and improve the samples.
In the gin house proper the prin-
c!pai recommendations are that clean.
er feeders and cotton cleaners be used
more extensively; that the trash there,
from lie treated in such a way as to
cause the destruction of the weevil,
and that device be perfected for re.
moving and destroying the weevils on
the seed notes.
wherever the system of handling
and ginning cotton is not found TO be
effective in removing the weevils-
and this is the case of practically all
the smaller and many Of the larger
ginneries in Texas and Louisiana
the seed, at least for planting pur.
poses, should always be sacked and
fumigated by the ginner. In regions
where the cotton fields are isolated
by this means the Introduction of the
Wccvtls could be delayed considerably.
in addition to the care necessary
with the seed for planting purposes,
the farmer should also take great
pans to prevent the introduction of
weevil IN seed or huls for feeding
purposes, as we'll as in refuse from
the gtnneries, which is sometimes
used as fertilizer. There is no appre.
ciab!e danger in cake or meal.
AT present it does not seem posi-
Bile to control the boil weevil effective.
ly at the oil mills. The Importance
the mills at present have in dissem.
mating the weevil, however, could be
very materially reduced by the prop.
er care at gins"