The Port Gibson reveille. [volume] (Port Gibson, Miss.) 1890-current, 1909-10-07
Destruction of WeeviIs in HIber-
mating Places.

After the cotton stalks have beel
destroyed in the early fall man,
weevils hibernate in the trash ant
rubbish on the ground in the cot
ton fields. In many cases surpris
ing numbers of weevils have beer
found alternating in cracks ant
holes in the ground and unde
grass, weeds, and other trash ant
in the burrs from which the cottor
had been picked. In January
1907, in one'instance, the Bureau
of Entomology found $3.50 weevll'
per acre, of which 70 per cent were
alive Most of the many examlna
tions that have been made by the
Bureau of Entomology have shown
more than 1000 live weevils pei
acre in cotton fields.
Most of the weevils remaining
in the cotton fields after the stalks
have been destroyed can be killed.
In sections where there is light
rainfall, it is probably better to
carefully rake up all grass and
trash and burn it. However, in
this section, there is enough rain
fall in the fall and winter for the
complete saturatIon of the soil
many times, and, if the grass,
trash, and other rubbishis plowed
under throughly in the fall or ear
ly winter few weevils will survive
for spring depredations. The far
mers who do not rid their cotton
field of weevils to the best of their
ability will suffer great loss on ac-
count of their failure to 90 so.
1t matters not how careful we are
in destroying the stalks, many wee
wills will escape from the cotton
fields, but all will not get beyond
the reach of the farmer. Many
will be found along fences, hedg-
es, and in decayed logs and dead
trees in aud around the cotton
fields. The clearing of stumps and
dead trees in and around the cot
ton fields, the cleaning and burning
of hedges, fence corners, and in
general the destruction of all hiber-
mating places in the vicinity of the
fields will destroy many weevils
that would live TO do great dam
age.
Old sorghum fields and cane fields
furnish most excellent winter
quarters for weevils Every farm
er ought to take note of such fields.
The shucks ought to be burned.
The snucks are generally too heavy
to be turned under. If corn stalks
are cut up and thoroughly plowed
under for several inches deep and
the harrow used very few weevils
will escape from the soil that has
been completely saturated with
water for several winter months.
The farmers who destroy their
cotton stalks early in the fall and
add strength to this terrific blow
by destroying practically all of
the weevils alternating in the
grass and rubbish on the ground
in the cotton fields and along turn
rows, fences, hedges, and in the
vicinity of the fields, can make
good crops of cotton by carrying
out the Governments instructions.
G. H. AFFORD,
Special Agent, Fayette, Miss.
Destroy the Cotton Stalks.
A large amount of experimental
work by the bureau of Entomology
and the Louisiana State Crop Pest
Commission has all proven con-
cIusively that the early fall de-
of cotton stalks is of SUI
preme importance in the boil wee
vii fight. Many hundreds of cases
ire on record showing the great
benefit of the early fall destruction
Of cotton stalks out balance all
other remedies that may be appli-
ID at other times of year.
In an experiment formed by the
Bureau of Entomology in Calhoun
County, Texas, the stalks grow
ing on 40 acres of land were de-
stroyed early in October. Careful
records kept during the following
season showed that the destruct-
ion Of stalks on this land increased
The yield $I4.56 per acre. An ex-
pertinent was conducted on oppo-
site sides of the GuadaIoupe River