The Lafayette advertiser. [volume] (Vermilionville [i.e. Lafayette], La.) 1865-19??, 1909-06-11
CROP PEST COMMISSION
SAYS WeevIs in Cotton Now Should
Cause No Alarm, and Gives Some
Advice.

The Crop Pest Commission has au-
thorized the following statement re-
lative to the conditions along the Mis-
sippi River:
"The presence OF boil weevils in
the cotton fields at the present time
should not cause any undue alarm,
In weevil infested sections it is per-
fectly normal thing to find young Wee
wills in the young cotton at this sea-
SOL, They will always be found in
the cotton fields at this time of the
year, and there is no reason for think
ing they are any more abundant this
spring than in an average spring. In
reply to the many letters we are re-
ceiving regularly regarding the pres
ent conditions we invaribly advise our
correspondents that if their cotton is
now far enough advanced to put on
forms, and if it is on well-drained
mixed or sandy land, of an early va
riety, the best thing to do is to work
it frequently from now on, giving
shallow CIVILIZATIONS, rather than plow
it up and plant something else.
With cotton now in the square
forming stage the planter has as
much of a chance for crop as he is
likely to have in any future season,
for conditiopc ca for &c tho wooyi1c ic
concerned, are always going to be
what they are now"
"The farmer who plows up his cot
ton now is certain to lose his seed
and fertilizer and work he has al
ready expended towards a crop On
the other hand it is reasonably GER
tain to make enough cotton to cover
his cotton crop expenses and with ia
vorable summer weather he may even
make as much as three-fourths of a
crop. We cannot, unfortunately, pre-
dict full crop for anyone, in as much
as experience has clearly shown that
the very best cultural methods can
not possibly secure a crop in the face
of the heavy weevil damages expert
enced in the alluvial lands of Louis
lana where the summer rainfall
makes the pest far more serious
one than in the uplands of Northern
Louisiana and Texas.
Where the stand of cotton is un-
even or poor. owing to unfavorable
spring weather, but where the few
plans now remaining are putting on
squares. we are advising the farmers
not to plow up the field but rather to
plant Mexican June corn in the 'skips.
This will insure all of the area in the
field giving return either in corn
or cotton and the cost of cultivation
will not be increased by reason of the
corn being present. 1t is also
worthy of note that corn planted
in cotton at this time will serve to de-
crease the amount of damage done to
the cotton by the boil worm (not boil
weeviD in September next
However, in case where hail or
storm has destroyed the entire stand
of cotton and the planter asks our
opinion as to the replanting of cotton,
we counsel against it, as cotton plant
cd at this late date has not the ghost
of show against the weevil.
Much of the alarm over the weevil
is due to the fact that the farmers
have not informed themselves as to
the habits of the weevil and have
overlooked the fact that all the boil
weevils now in the fields are over
wintered ones, that is. weevils that
have remained in winter quarters
since last fall. Young weevils of this
season cannot be produced until about
twenty eight days after eggs are laid
in first squares. In the meantime the
old over-wintered weevils are dying
OF rapidly and there will come a
time presently when the bulk of the
over-wintered weevils will be dead
and but few Of the young weevils of
the current season will be mature. In
this interval the cotton will have op.
portunity to set bolls, even in fields
where the adult weevils are now thick
| enough to destroy all the first ap-
pearing squares. II the cotton be
frequently cultivated and well-work.
ed from now on, it will set a fair
number of bolls during this approach.
ing interval, during which adult wee.
wills will be scarce. Very few Of the
first summer brood Of weevils will
appear in the fields before July 1.
and the bulk Of them are not likely to
appear before July or 10. About
July 1, therefore, we will hear nu.
merous reports to the effect that, the
weevils "have disappeared" The farm.
ers should not be fooled by such re.
ports, but should only redouble his
efforts towards an early-making crop,
| 10 Aa to have a fair crOp OF bolls set