Rocky Ford enterprise., 1907-05-10
TO KILL BOIL WEEv|L
gNTomoLooisrs FIND RELIEF
FOR COTTON PLANTS ENEMY.
Beetle Win De Attacked by . Hard
Working Team Of Anss-ors~'
back 10 That Apostles Must
De Cultivated First

Nectii is bcliefru 10 pc in sie"s-
After working for decade ana haii
upon the problem the -busoiosis's OF
tho department OF agriculture are
confident they have at las, found the
solution The beetle Is 10 be killed
not by poison or fumigaiors. not by
funsous diseases or the Industrious
Gustsmaian ani. but by haEd'wofk'
Ing lit,ls team that cotton growers
have had right in their plantations Tor
generations. the common red ant and
the larvae of a certain waspiiAe ny
that abOunds throughout the south.
The reason the cotton men did not
use these insects before Is the TACT
that neither they nor the experts OF
the agricultural department had any
idea that the ant and tn. larvae liked
boil weeyiis for food There Is Just
one drawback. II is necessary To
educate their taste for the weevil
They may. live side by side for gen
eEaiions before IL occurs To the
forme. 10 try the latter for food. Hut
when they do acguiE. the weovii taste
they become possessed OF an insauh'
bi. hunger for IL that never dies until
they either eat up ali the ~c.viis In
sight or give up their efforts to i've.
Tho only task that confron's the
agricultural department scientists ana
tn. cotton planters. therefore. Is To
cultivate the appctiics OF these IN
s.ois rs rapidly as possible. With the
end ia view of educating the proper
taste for xccyii food the agricultural
department has started on tho task
at the Dallas experiment farm. The
scientists discovered tina, In those
parts OF the country where the wccvl
has been established for n number of
years the rcd ants and the ny larvae
were eating the cotton pests In great
numbers. In the locations where the
weeyil has lately made Its appearance
they did not moicst them. II was.
therefore. apparent that the ants and
Eriiba with tho educated taste were
the ones needed on the experiment
farm. SO a large number OF them were
collected from the ncishborhood OF
Waco. a map just issued by the de-
partmcn, shows that the icrritdty In
fce;ed by the wccvil has extended In
all directions. this season making the
usual advance OF about 80 miles.
This brings Il directly up To the
Mississippi river. and while II was
a; one time thought that stand might
bc made Mt that point and Its advance
might be stopped the idea has been
given up. Through Mississippi. Ala
bama and Georgia. states which have
not yet been attacked. the experts be-
llcve the wcevii will thrive TO =
greater extent than In Tcxns. for
there IL more moisture and vegetation
and the development Will be helped by
the climate.
The last winter has been mild and
dry and the department scientists fear
that these favorable conditions will
make the weevil plentiful the coming
season. The same conditions will pro-
duce many ants and Notwithstanding
worms. and they will be taken Into
the newly invaded territory. where
there are experiment farms. and every
indncement will be given the planters
TO Introduce them privately. instruc-
ton will also be given as to the dc.
struc,ion OF certain weeds upon which
the ants and flies live. and It is held
that this will drive the insects more
extensively into the cotton field and
cause their adoption of the new food.
The region now included in the infest-
ed district embraces one.third OF the
cotton.producing lands of the United
States. The weevil has Travelled nj.
together 5S5 miles since its appear
ance in 1892. or an average of 41s
miles each year. Through the various
methods of combating it the produc-
ton of the infested country has been
brought back to an approach to the
normal and in the ant and fly there is
hope OF n permanent solution of the
problem of protection against the
pests.
r.t..,s;.n S.ar, t&,Iv