The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1904-08-27
TAe Boil WeeYil.


out an illustrated pamphlet describing
the Mexican cotton boil Weevil and
indicating methods by which the pest
can be eradieateds The pamphlet was
compiled hs w. 6. Scott, chemist of
the Case Company, and contains a
of valuable information.
The following extracts will no doubt
nrova Of interest to the cotton farmers
OF this section:
OF all the destructive insects, the
boil WeeVil family ranks first. The
number of species already known is
immense. being aos less than 5000 or
10000. The weevil family may at
once be recognized by the head being
heightened into a long snout or pro-
boscis fused FOR boring into objects
when about to oviposit1; near the
middle OF this long snout are stu ated
the long, slender, elboWed antenna, or
feelers. At the extremity OF the snout
are situated the mouth parts. which
are reduced in size, the palpi having
small rounded joints. Their bodies
are hard and generally round, and are
often very minute. They are very
timid and quickly feign death. The
larvae are white. thick, feshy, footless
grubs, with feshy tubercles instead OF
legs, and are armed with thick curved
Jaws. They feed on nuts, seeds, the
roots, piLh and bark of plants. leaves
or flowers, and especially the fruits,
while some are leaf miners and others
are said to make gals. Preparatory
to transforming they spin silken co.
coons. The leaf Weevils are said to
roll up the edges OF the leaves, thereby
forming nests of the shape and size OF
thimbles to contain their eggs and &c
shelter their young, which afterwards
deyour the leaves. The little seed
weeviIs, which feed on seeds, are pear.
shaped and generally black. The leai
and seed weevils are small, usually
about one-tenth OF an inch long, but
vary in size in different plants ane
localities. These insects may be de
stroyed by Insecticides used as 3
spray, but the tree Weevils which bore
into the solid wood, and the fruit ane
nut weeyils, which live IN the interior
of the vegetable, cannot be extermin
ated in this way, as it is impossible tc
reach them. Trees, grains, fruit, vege,
&LdDlGS Gtkla HUI IllCLGGA 1IA o1S 2hpJSS,
to the ravages of the Weevil pest, each
kind OF vegetation being attacked BY
it's particular species Of insect. Cotton
appears to reyeiVe more attention
from destructive insects than any other
plant, which fact is probably due &c
its rich fibre, oily seeds and its To-
cation in a very warm climate. Cotton
is subject TO the attacks Of the Leaf
worm, the sharpshooter, the boil
worm, and the boil Weeyil. The latter
pest is undoubtedly the most disas-
trous insect ever encountered by the
planters in Texas, where the scourge
now prevails. The boil Weevil is sup
posed to be a native of Mexico and is
frequently spoken of as the Mexican
boil weevil.
The adult boil weevil averages about
one-quarter of an inch in length, and
has a snout or beak about one-hali
the length of the body. It is of a
grayish or reddish brown color. The
insect exists IN four stages, egg, 1arva
or grub, pupa or transformed young,
and the fully matured insect. All the
stages except the last occur only in.
side the cotton square or boil.
The egg is deposited by the female
Weevil ia a cavity formed by eating
into the fruit of the plant. It matches,
under normal aeonditions, IN. two OF
three days, and the grub Immediately
begins to feed. In from seven te
twelve days the larva (grub passes
into the pupa1 or quiet stage, CORE.
spending with the cocoon of the silk
worm; this stage lasts from three to
five days, when the adult weevil issues,
and II about seven days begins the
production of another generation.
Climatic conditions cause considera.
quires from two to three weeks for the
Weevi1 to develop from the egg to the
adult. The plainest Indication Of the
presence of the Weevil in cotton field
is the faring and falling Of the squares
or forms, which take place, in general,
within day or two after the egg is
deposited. However, as all planters
are aware, heavy rains after drought,
as well as some other climatic eondi-
tions, have the same effect upon the
plants. Il the planter should observe
an unusual shedding OF the fruit, he
may easily determine the cause by
gathering few Of the fallen squares,
ard II, uponeutbing open these squares,
he finds a small, Whitish curved grub,
there is but little doubt that the cause
of the trouble is the boil Weevil.
In ten years this pest has gradually
advanced a distance Of about 500
miles, and will undoubtedly invade
new territory. Various estimates Of
the loss oecasioned to the cotton
planters during the season OF 1908
have been made, and range from 80,
600 to 500, 900 bales OF cotton. At an
average OF 500 pounds to the bale,
this would represent q loss OF from
eight to twenty-five millions OF dollars.
The u. S. department. OF agriculture
has done vast amount OF good in
taking up the boil weevil question
and much Information on the subject
may be gained from bulletins l63 and
189, which carefully consider the mat
ter in every respect. The division OF
entomology, which has change Of the
work, recommends early planting with
seed known to mature early, thorough
lcultiva alton, planting of rows far apart,
and If the weevil appears, destruction OF
all the cotton stalks in the field either
by blowing up, WindroWing Or burning,
as soon as the Weevils become SO
numerous that practically all of the
fruit is punetured. IN general, wet
winters and dry growing seasons are
unfavorable for the weevil. Altitude
or high land also appears TO be
against the weevil, while low land in
the vicinity OF rivers, especially land
that has been planted in cotton for
several years, appears to suffer mos
from the pest.