The St. Louis Republic., 1904-01-25
COTTON BOIL WEEVIl
INVESTIGATION PLANS.
Secretary of Agriculture Approves
Scheme of Campaign Against
the Destructive Pest.

Washington, Jan. 24-The Secretary OF
Agriculture has approved the plans Of the
cotton boil weevil investigation In the
Southwest. for which a special appropria-
tion of $25O.OOO has been made available
The plan approved. which was submitted
by Doctor B. r Galloway. the chief of the
Bureau OF Plant Industry. and Doctor
Howard. the chief of the Department or
Entomology, involved the following line
Of investigation:
DEMONSTRATION WORK.
This will involve the organization of
farmers in Texas and adjacent States in
such a way as to secure the cultivation
of tracts Of cotton under specific instruc-
tions from the Department of Agriculture.
Thus. definite working plan will be
given to each farmer. the farmer himself
to furnish the seed and fertilizers. If such
are required. These areas of cotton will
serve as object lessons and will be planned
to show the practicability of growing cot
Similar work will be carried on in Loui-
siana. whence the weevil has not as yet
advanced 1t is planned to have 5000 or
10000 farmers engaged in this work.
PLANT BREEDING.
This work will have for its object the
Improvement of the varieties of cotton
with view of making them more prolific
and earlier. so as to prevent the ravages
Of the wefvil. The work will be conduct
ed on thes experimental farms. which will
be selected with due respect to climatic
soil and other conditions.
COTTON DISEASES.
The bill making the appropriation directs
the Secretary to investigate the other in
sects and diseases. one serious malady
which will receive attention. is the So
called cotton root rot. This work will be
in the direction of securing immune va
rieties by selecting and breeding and the
testing Of types that already have been
selected.
DIVERsIFICATiONO OF CROPS.
This is considered one of the most i'm
portant liz es Of work, and will have for
its object demonstration work In the d.
rect.on OF growing crops other than cot
ton. and of forage crops with cotton Di-
versifcation farms will be secured by CO.
operation with the farmers themselves.
Thirteen of these farms will be located
in Texas, five in Louisiana, three in Mis-
sissiRpi and several in other cotton-grow-
Ing States The foregoing work will be
looked after by the Bureau of Plant In
dustry. The division of entomology will
continue its investigations on experiment
farms.
Thirteen farms for the growing of cot
ton will be located ip Texas. and the in
vestigations conducted will have for their
object the determination of numt rous
weevtl. which have not yet been definite
ly settled. The question of the effect OF
fertilizers on the early maturing of cotton
| will be considered. 1t is planned that the
farms shall embrace 100 acres each.
PARASITES.
Incursions into the original home of thu
weevil will be made. the object being tt
introduce the parasites into Texas. with
the hope of securing the destruction
through them. Of the boil weevil.
COTTON PRODUCTS
Attending the certifcation required by
State laws will be another line of worl
conducted by the entomologist.
Investigations into the life. history ant
habits Of the weevil and for the genera
| testing of persons and machines. Thi!
work will be carried on eceSSarfly In the
| boil weevil infested district.
Investigations of other diseases thar
| the cotton boil weevil. including the de
structite cotton boil rust. which is one oi
| the most serious pests In number OF
Southern cotton-growing States.
The organization of the work on CO
| operative demonstration farms has begul
| under the charge of Doctor s. A. Knapp
| who II now in Texas.