Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1909-08-13

adult weevils and on October Goth a sim
liar cage was started with 1894 weevils.
Out of the 2,2l6 boil weevils placed in
these two cages $40, or 1873 per cent, sur
vived the winter. We may therefore safe
ly conclude that on farms where the cot
ton plants were destroyed between Octo-
Der 18th and October 9th, last fall, an
average of about Is per cent of the wee
wills passed through the winter success
fully.
Additional cages were started in the
same manner on November I'd, 9th, 10Th
and 23d, containing respectively, 1926,
1925, l, 420 and ,342 adult weevils. Out
of this total Of 5,414 weevils 1,lSl, or
2l.8 per cent, succeeded in living until
spring, showing that where the cotton
plants were destroyed between Novem-
Der LIST and 18th an average of approx
mately 22per cent of the weevils survived
the winter.
Cages started on November 30th and
December 9TH, containing a total of 743
weevils showed a winter survival of 2lO
them, or 1913 per cent. Therefore de-
struction of the cotton plants as late as
November 25th to December 9TH resulted
in % per cent of the weevils living thro'
the winter.
Out of 1850 weevils collected in the
fields on December 18th and 2lst and
placed in cages on those dates, 545, or
1873 per cent, survived the winter. Post
poning fall destruction of the cotton plants
until the middle of December, or later,
permitted over 43 per cent of last seasons
boil weevils to survive the winter and at
tack the crop of 1909.
These figures are so convincing that it
il beyond comprehension that any farm
er should continue trying to grow cotton
without picking out his crop early and
completely destroying the cotton plants
stalks, leaves, bolls and roots-long be-
fore the first autum frost.
Destruction of the cotton plants before
October 18th, in this instance, allowed
but 8 per cent of the weevils to live until
the crop of 1909 was subject to their at
tack. Against this small number of over
wintered weevils, as has been repeatedly
proven by experience, the planter can
make a good crop by the use of proper
early maturing varieties and by the adop-
ton of the intensive cultural methods.
BY leaving the cotton plants standing
until after the middle of December last
fall the farmer invited certain destruction
of this years crop, for when he starts
the spring with 43 per cent as many Wee
wills Is he had the previous fall he cannot
hope to make a crop by any known
means under the sun.
Arguments are still being made against
early fall destruction of the plants by
those who steadfastly refuse to see the
plain facts placed before them, but the
farmers who are destroying the cotton
plants early in the fall are making money
growing cotton, and the fact remains,
despite all arguments, that there is nc
other way in which paying crop of cot
ton can be made under the conditions as
they now exist in Louisiana and as they
will exist for many years to come.
Strangely enough, there are farmers
who still argue that they cannot pick out
the crop early enough to destroy the cot
ton plants by October 18th or November
LIST. The alternative is to have no cotton
to pick out. Those who cannot SO ar
range their farm management as to fol-
low our recommendation in this regard
are simgly advised not to grow cotton at
all, for unless the weevils are destroyed
by destroying the cotton plants-edrly
in the fall, profitable crop is impossible.
Do not wait for sad experience to drive
this lesson home to you. If you intend to
grow cotton next year make all prepare
tons NOW to pick out this years crop
AS FAST AS 1T OPENS and destroy all
cotton plants by cutting them down and
burning them BEFORE OCTOBER 18th,
OR, AT THE LATEST, NOVEMBER LIST.