The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1909-03-24
Spread of the Boil Weevi1

Sixteen years go the boil weevil
made its first appearance in the cot
ton fields of Texas, having crossed
over the Rio Grande near Browns
vile in 1892. Since that time 1t
has spread in Texas over a territory
that has produced $3.50 bales
of cotton, or about 81 per cent OF
the present cotton producing area
of the state The infested territory
extends from the Rio Grande on the
south to the Red river on the north,
a distance of about $50 miles, ana
from the Sabine river on the east
to land including most of Menard
county on the west, about 30 miles.
The only uninfested section embraces
4 or 5 tiers of counties in the eX-
IRENE central west and northwest,
and the cotton growing counties in
the Pan Handle, the total production
of which is about 445, 900 bales.
The weevil crossed over the Louis
lana state line in 1908, making it's
first appearance in Sabine parish.
1t now infests all of the territory
from the Gulf to the Arkansas state
line on the north, and from the Texas
state line on the west to the Mis-
sissippi river on the east. There
are only eight uninfested parishes
in the southeastern section of the
state. The productive capacity of
the infested parishes is $4,000
bales, or nearly so per cent. OF the
whole.
The weevil made its first appear
ance in oklahoma in 1905, though
only a few plantations became in
tested. Within three years it has
advanced from the Red river on the
south to the Canadian river on the
north, about so miles, and from Co
manche county on the west to the
Arkansas state line on the east, a
distance of nearly 200 miles. The
infested territory has produced $780,
600 bales of cotton, or about 10 per
cent. of the largest yield Of the
state
The next state to become infested
was Arkansas, the pest crossing over
from Texas into Miller county in
1906 Within two years it has
spread with such rapidity that it is
now present in all of the southern
counties and has advanced on the
western border into two of the Mis-
sissippi river counties. The produc-
ton of the infested territory is $685.
600 bales, or about 81 per cent of
the largest crop the state has pro-
'duced
Mississippi is the most recent state
invaded by the weevil. Its first APP
pearance was noticed in 1906 on the
plantations in Wilkinson, Jefferson
and Adams counties, in the extreme
southwestern corner of the state. It,
has travelled eastward and northward
with great rapidity, and is now prev
alent in seventeen of the heavy pro-
ducing counties. The territory in
yaded extends from the Louisiana
state line on the south to Bolivar
county on the north, and through
two tiers of counties lying next to
and east of the Mississippi river.
The infested region, much of which
is very fertile, has produced $4,000
bales of cotton, or about 25 per cent.
Of the states best crop
The whole of the territory now in
tested by the weevil extends south
and north, from Brownsville, Texas.
to the Canadian river in Oklahoma.
a distance of about $50 miles; and
west to east, from Menard county,
Texas, to Rankin county Mississippi, (
a distance of about 500 miles. The
total highest production of the in |
tested territory amounts to 5,752,O00 |
bales, or about Al per cent of the /
total crop in 1904, when the record |
crop was made. |
iii the twelve years prior to 1905 |
the weevil infested an area in Texas
and Louisiana producing 2T74,000 |
bales of cotton; in each of the four
years since it has spread over new
areas producing as follows: 1905, /
$4,000 bales; 1906, $4,000 bales; !
1907, $4,000 bales, ana 1908, 964,-
600 bales, the average for the four
years being 744,0O0 bales, as COM |
pared with an average of 231, 900 |
for the twelve previous years. In /
other words, during the twelve years ,
from the time the Weevil first made |
its appearance in Texas up to 1905, !
its annual advance into new territory |
covered an area producing 231, 900 |
bales, as compared with an annual |
advance since 1905 into new terri |
tory covering an area producing 744,- !
600 bales
This would indicate that the
spread Of the weevil in the past
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