The Aberdeen weekly. [volume] (Aberdeen, Miss.) 1878-1933, 1909-09-24
War on the Boil WeeviI-Early
Destruction of Cotton Stalks.


United States Department of Agri-
culture, Bureau of Plant Indus
try, Farmers Co Operative
Demonstration Work.
Washington, d. c., Sept. s. 1909.
Without question one Of the most
important things to be done IN
reducing the number Of weevils 50
that a crop of cotton can be sue
cessfuily made is to destroy the
stalks in the fall. not later than the
10th Of October if possible.
This has been so fully demon
strated by the Bureau of Entomol-
ogy that it does not require dis
cussion here The practical diff
Guilty has been that in most years
the cotton has matured so late that
it was impossible to get anything
like a concerted movement among
the farmers to destroy the cotton
stalks early enough to be of much
value. This fall is an exception.
In the entire cotton belt the cotton
is maturing 50 rapidly that it viii
be possible for the farmers to make
a general movement to destroy the
stalks. 1t is Of comparatively small
value, in so far as the general effect
is concerned, for a few farmers TO
carry ont this policy, but if it IS
possible to induce so many farmers
to enter into the movement that it
practically becomes universal, so
many weevils can be destroyed that
it will be easier to make u crop
next year.
We therefore recommend that
public meetings be called in every
county and parish in the cotton
states infested with the weevil and
strong public pressure be brought
to bear for the universal destruc-
ton of the cotton stalks before the
10Th of October, or earlier if pos
sible. 1t is not necessary here to
go into details for cutting and
destroying Every farmer knows
how that is done. As soon as the
stalks are destroyed. deep fall
break the land, then a little later
burn all the rubbish and grass sur
rounding the field. In that way
almost the entire crop of weevils
will be destroyed. 1t should be
understood that the weevils that
come out the following season and
do damage are those that mature
late in the season and if there is no
cotton left standing it will be SO
long before winter that the weevils
must die. This advice for destroy
ing the stalk should apply also to a
distance Of at least fifty miles in
advance of the present infestation
of the weevil so that if any large
number should leave the infested
territory and migrate in the fall as
usual, we shall catch them in their
new camping ground.
1t was supposed by some that
the late hot weather would so
msterially reduce the number of
weevils that some late crops would
be made This has not been the
case to any appreciable extent.
This season has been an exceedingly
unfavorable one for the cotton
planter; excessive rainfall at a
critical period of the crop and
unusual drouth at another with
more than normal infestation of
the weevil all the time up to this
date, except in q few limited areas.
Our Demonstration work has
proven that a good crop of cotton
can he made even under these adj
verse conditions, but it is unfair
for one farmer to winter over
weevils to destroy his neighbors'
crop We trust that the farmer
viii not only destroy his own
stalks, but use his influence to
secnre the destruction of his neigh
bors'- We urge that this advice
be taken in Texas, Oklahoma,
Louisiana, Arkansas and Missis-
sippi. The plan is worth a thor
)ugh trial. There may not be
lnoth er season as favorable as this
or ml any years
We especially urge all the Field
Ag8raios of this Department to use
helr utmost endeavor to carry out
bis policy. Respectfully,
5. A. KNAPP,
Special Agent in Charge.