The Cairo bulletin., 1910-04-20
BUGS DONG DAMAGE:
Boil Weavil Forcing South to Gu
Down Cotton Production.
Means End Of Expenditure Of Rrn-
dreds Of Millions Outside OF
"Dixie" for Supplies 49, Huge
Loss for North.


ance OF trade. lie is causing The north
to lose money.
This bug. the cotton boil weevitI
viewed at iirst ais a calamity 81 stA
proportions, Is beginning 70
be appreciated as blessing Ia the
south
The cotton plant originated IN TIM
plateau region OF Central Amefiea Md
south Mexico For hundred yenrsbor
so it has been cultivated IN the United
States. Also, It'll the original home q Y
the cotton plant originated the eottot
boil weevil He began to push north
ward, few miles each year. hunting |
cotton to eat.
It was a long journey, but In eenirn'
Mexico fields OF the cultivated plant
became more plentiful.
by 1880 practically all Mexico was
infected So voracious were the wee
wills that in many sections Of Mexico
cotton planting was abandoned IN i.a
entirety
In the first ten years in the United
States the anDual spread Of the boil /
weeyi was 5,64o square miles. Since
1901 the annual increase d inteSatlon
has averaged 26,$S0 miles Iii 1901
$1,000 square miles were infested
At present Che BON weeyll has q
lodgment in five states-TeXas, Louis
iaua. mississippi. Arkansas aud OKLA
homa. Alabama and West Tennessee
Will be reached In 1911 Georgia and
South Carolina and East Tennessee
viii be invaded in 1912 BY 1915 the
infestation Of every nook and Granny
oil the entire cotton producing area o.
the United States viii be complete
Poison has no effect upon him, FOR
he bores into the immature cotton
bolIs (pods holding the lint ANA seed
in embryol and sucks the juice and
sap from the interior.
Forty-dye species Of insect enemies
OF the weeyil are known The para
site develops by feeding upon the
young boil weevil, which it ultimately
kills.
The only remedy for The weevll is to
stop planting cctton for the weeyIl
feeds upon nothing else
4 reduction OF two-thlTds in the cot
ton CROP iH tha next six years Is very
plolaD!e Eut say If SIS only 50 per
cont Take tI.G1aH9 bales as an ay-
ge crop-t really is less han thu
hac for illustrative purposes
Fl will do. At ten cent5 "a pound, or
$50 a bale tle cotton crop is worth
about $5JQ.9Q009o Add an average Of
five dollars per bale. value Of the cot
ton seed and that gives $55,000,000
more, q total OF s5158oo.090 Cut that
down so per cent and there Is a loss
Of over $500 100000 annually on a basis
OF ten-cent cotton.
Even that price viii never be real
ICED agais Cotton is worth Is cents
9 pound now--that means $250,0 ,000
more of loss.
Apparently, the south should BE-
prosperous with a food of 5000 900, 600
or 500 100000 or $500, 000, 900 pouring
into it each year. The south has pros
| pored, but not as one would imagine
from such a sum.
The reason Of it IS that so little o.
that money sticks IN the south
Cotton was always certain money. a
| bale Of cotton may be converted into
cash almost with The celebrity Of New
I York exchange There is 70 peddlina
or hHclJataring Ana there was e
4 fascinating element Of q gamble in it
81 Maybe il would bring ten cents ol
better Result general Joy and ex
travagance, to ha bitterly paid for mex
year. when a lot a cotton exchange
8 rnanipulators in New York. New o.
leans and Liverpool hammer the price
to six cents and keep It there INIT
the bulk Of the cotton has been mark
eted by January l, and out OF tie grow
= eys' hands. Then the spectators woulC
blithely boost the quotations.
I The avcrage planter cannot hold H.
: cotton lie has been running on credit
1, and his banker and his merchant az,
4 Insisting upon money. They have beet
A running on cradis too The eastern
banks are pinching the southorn bgak
and the wholesalers are piuchsng t.,
Z merchant sd the planter is CON
PEELED to sell and settle.
The bank gets its money-nips o,
ten per cent interest and RENTS it
4 eastern correspondent The plante
4 then goes 10 his merchant, who ha
. been furnishing him with supple
n since last settling day. a year ago
III These supplies, including not on
clothing, household goods, machinery
u etc, but also the most of his food. ar
4 bought in the north. Ninety per cen
q Of his money goes to the north.
O Now, the cotton raiser who undo,
stands these conditions is preparing t
beat the boil weevil and the syster
If that takes his money from him. He !
" going TO lessen. his cotton productio
c. and raise instead all his own food sui
G. plies
i. When the weevil reaches his farl
i. MI Farmer can afford to lose ia
n. whole crop Of cotton and then not i
ii ruined. lie is making his living, wis
= he consumes and a surplus for sa'