The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1911-11-04


There are three methods Of destroying
The squares, bolls, and foliage on the
cotton stalks, ~ pasturing, (a1 plow'
ing under, ~ burning
Pasturing cotton felds is good
method of destroying the squares, bolls,
and foliage-the sole food supply of the
mature weevils and the incubators Of
the immature weeyils the cotton
fields are fenced and the number Of cat
tie turned into field is sufficient to eat
all the squares, bolls and foliage IN .
few days. However, let it be distinctly
understood that the practice of turning
few head of cattle into fifteen or
twenty acre cotton or corn field accom-
plishes no particular good. We all know
from observation that two or three head
of cattle per acre, even when confined
to the cotton field, will eat very little
of the green foliage in one week. And
let us not forget that it is necessary to
completely destroy the food supply of
the mature weevils and the breeding
places of the immature Weevils at the
earliest possible moment.
Flowing under cotton stalks is good
method of destroying the only food sup
ply of the mature weevi1s and of ending
the life of all the immature weevils
where there are few stumps and roots,
small cotton stalks, and where large
plows and strong teams can be had. |
have held the pillow handles in the piney
woods, in the prairie section and in the
rich bottom lands and know whereof
l speak when say to you that it is very
difficult to completely bury average size
cotton stalks. / have hitched three
large mules to twelve-inch steel beam
turning pillow with a log chain attach
ment and failed to completely turn UNI
der average size cotton stalks on land
clear of stumps. I have failed to turn
under large size cotton stalks with four
large mules hitched to thirty-inch
disc plow. In fact, farmers who have
attempted to pillow under green cotton
stalks early in the fall laugh at the
advice sometimes given to pillow under
the stalks at all times and under all
conditions as a means of destroying the
food supply Of the weevils. However,
let us use large plows and strong teams
and completely bury the stalks wher-
ever it can be done.
There is an insufficient number of cat
tie on many farms and plantations to
thoroughly and completely denude the
cotton stalks of every vestige of foliage,
squares and hollis in short time and it
is impossible, hence, it is absolutely
necessary to burn the stalks as soon as
the cotton is picked out. When the
stalks are burned, the food supply Of
the adult Weevil is destroyed at once,
the weeyils in the immature stages in
the squares and bolls are all destroyed
at once, and the large majority Of the
adult weevils perish in the flames, espe-
cially when the stalks are burned after
shutdown. Weevils retire for the night
on the cotton stalk piles at about sum
down. They seldom move about at night.
If the farmers are careful not to shake
the stalk piles when applying the torch
after shutdown, practically all the Wee
wills on the stalk piles will be burned.
OF course, if the stalks are allowed
to remain until a heavy frost has come
and practically all of the mature weevils
have gone into winter quarters, it is not
advisable to burn the stalks. It is then
advisable to turn the stalks under as
deeply as possible.
Practically all the weevils that hiber-
nate in the corn fields, in old sorghum
and cane fields, along turn-rows, fences,
hedges, ditch banks, and in the vicinity
Of the cotton fields can be destroyed. If
the corn stalks, sorghum and cane
shucks, grass and trash are thoroughly
plowed under for several inches deep
very few weevils will survive for spring
depredations.
Surprising numbers Of weevils have
been found alternating in cracks and
holes in the ground and under grass,
weeds, and other trash. In January,
1907, in one instance, the Bureau of En-
tomology found $3.50 weevils per acre,
of which 70 per cent were alive. Most
of the many examinations that have
been made by the Bureau of Entomology
have shown more than / 1000 live weevils
per acre in the cotton fields.
Deep winter breaking and the turn
ing under of the trash, corn stalks and
so on means death to thousands of vice.
wills. The thousand or more weeyi1s per
acre in the cracks and hole in the ground
and under the grass, weeds, and trash
can practically all be killed by deep
winter breaking of the land. There is
enough rainfall in this section to thor
ough1y saturate the soil many times and
for this reason it is only necessary to
pillow under the trash and weevils. It is
not all necessary to burn the corn stalks,
grass, oat and pea stubble and other veg
etable matter. Every acre in cultivation
in tie weevil territory should be plowed
good and deep this fall and winter.
Many weevils will escape from the cot
ton fields but all will not fly beyond
the reach of the farmer. Many will be