The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-08-26
BOIL WEEVIL is
MOVING FORWARD
The Harmful Pest is Headed
for Mississippi
PREDICTION OF EXPERTS
EntomoIogists Assert the Boil weevll
VIII Proceed From Mississippi
to Alabama-Wlll Reach
Georgia in 10 Years.


Baton Rouge. lathe migratory move
ment of the boil weevil, which is sweep
Ing this pest across the cotton lands Of
Louisiana towards Mississippi. will begin
in few days, and until cold weather
runs the pest into its winter quarters it
will continue it's progress 10 the east.
Combating this arch enemy of the
south's great staple crop. devising means
of minimizing the damage done the cot
ton by the weevil, and searching for some
effective remedy is the crop pest commits
sion of Louisiana working in oo-opera-
ton with the bureau of entomology of the
United States department of agriculture.
The work of the commission is in charge
of Wilmon Newell. formerly entomologist
of Georgia
That the weevil will reach Mississippi
this year is the opinion of Mr.. Newell and
DIR. Hunter, the latter being at the head
of the forces Of the United States govern
ment engaged in lighting the weevll They
base their opinion upon the advances
made by the weevil in the past and every
indication points to a greater advance Of,
the weevll this year than ever before.
The Mississippi river, which some plant
ers of Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia
have hoped would stand as a barrier
against the weevil will not stop the flight
of the pest On the contrary, 1t may
slightly accelerate it's progress Investi-
cation has shown that the weevil has at
times flown over bodies of water as much
as fifteen miles in width, and the Missls-
sipp river is, at one point where the
weevils will cross. over a mile in width
Into the state of Mississippi this year
at the close OF the season, five years to
cross the state of Mississippi, and another
five to cover the cotton fields of Alabama
and get into the state of Georgia, is the
calculation that the entomologists make
on the progress of the weevil after 1t gets
across the Mississippi river this fall Its
getting into Georgia within ten years is
of course based upon the belief that the
weevil will travel eastward through Mis-
sissippi and Alabama as rapidly as 1t has
done through Louisiana.
Intense Farming as Offset.
In the meantime the crop pest commits
sion has solved the successful growing of
cotton crop in the boil weevil section
If the remedy for the weevil has not been
found when the weevil reaches MISSISSIPPI
pl and Alabama, the planters will at least
have the benefit of the long series of ex-
periments made by the crop pest commits
States government, which have shown
how to grow cotton with the weevll to
contend with.
The advent of the pest Is not now looked
upon as a plague. 1t has been robbed of
It's terrors by what is known as the "cul-
tural method" The cultural method sim
ply means the selection of an early ripen-
ing cotton to begin with; the use of the
right kind of fertilizer, thorough prepara-
ton of the soil and intensive cultivation
of the soil, which will hasten the maturity
of the crop.
That in spite of the weevil, cotton can
be raised by this method, has been advo-
Gated by the commission in western Louis
lana the past two years, where the weevils
are the thickest. There, where farmers
have adopted the cultural method, In spite
of the insect were raised last year crops
of cotton above the average ever made
before the weevil came
This intense cultivation must be followed
up by the destruction of the cotton stalks
in the early fall. The weevil goes into
its Information with the first cold weather
and if it retires for the winter well fed it
stands much better chance of surviving
until the following spring
Gain Last, Year.
The weevil last year made a gain Of
about twenty-five miles. 1t had received
d
advance guard of the army, that had got
furthest east, were killed. still the net adj
vance was about twenty-five miles In mid
die Louisiana and about ten miles in north
Louisiana. Last winter was mild and did
not set the weevil back, so this year the
pest begins its advance under the most
favorable conditions, and already millions
of weevis have matured in the west,
ready to begin their eastward movement
at the appointed time.
OF the 20.510,00O acres of land in the main
cotton-produclng parishes of Louisiana.
the area In which the cotton fields are
now infested, amounts to 4,743.SN acres.
The weeyil has now infested the terSi-
tory that normally produces about one
third the cotton crop of the country
The easternmost point reached by the
weevil is in Rapides parish. near the
Avoyelles parish line. and If the weevll
advances this summer. as the Indications
are that it will, 1t will cross the Mlssis-
sppi river first and get into the state of
Mississippi in Wilkinson county, just
north of the Louisiana line. As you
travel north the infested territory recedes
further and further to the west, becpse
as you go north it takes the weevil longer
to get acclimated and it moves eastward
slower. At its present rate the weevl will
be in southern Alabama before 1t gets
into the great cotton producing territory
In the Yazoo valley.
Habits of the Pest.
The crop pest commission has discovered
much in its experimental work. What
has recently been brought to light shows
the weevil to be a remarkable insect The
adult weevils do not move at night. I'm
like many insects they do not fly after
dark, and are not attracted by a light
Lights have been placed in the middle OF
a boil weevil field and not a single weevil
would ever come to them. They do their
feeding and depositing of eggs In the
day time.
When the squares begin to form on the
cotton the female weevil begins to deposit
eggs An average of one egg Is placed In
square. A puncture Is made In the,
square, the egg inserted, and afterwards
sealed up by the female with a small
amount of secretion
The eggs of the weevils are white and
approximately one-thrteenth of an inch
In length by one -fiftieth of an inch In d.
ameter During the month of June about
four days is required for the egg to hatch
and during July and August, two and
h. frraa frasw