The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1911-07-25
CONTROLLING THE BOIL NEENii

CONTROLLING THE BOIL WEEVIL
In the Fall tie Weevil is at the merry
OF he Planter and Work in NeeSil
Destruction at Tha Time bFineS
Retter Results Than FSensea'1aI
Maasures ADDlied at Other Times OF
the Year.
tBy R. w. Harned-)
Years of experience and careIui
stndy have brought to light many
facts in regard to the life and haoits
of he boil weevil. BY taxing ao\an-
tage of some-of these, much can ID
done n lessen the damage OF TINS pest.
Paa6 carefully all available bullet
ms or publications concerning thls III
sect and verify the IN thSse
pnblications for yourself. Make OBJ
seryations as to which fields are most
seriously damaged ~ the boil weeNli,
and try to determine the cause 1or any
difference upon fields in the am
n~eighborhood.
Test different varieties of cotton un-
der the same conditions so as to OBJ
tain the variety that does best on your
farm under boil weevil conditions.
Carefully observe the effects of early
and late planting. There are hundreos
of facts concerning the Doll "eeVli
that each farmer should find out Tor
himself in order to more inleiliseh'ls
meet the situation and continue 10
! raise cotton on a profitable basis.
The leading authorities upon the
| boil weevil all agree that one or 'he
most important steps in the control OF
this insect is the destroying or the
talks early in the fall.
AS soon as the weeNllS become 50
numerous that practically no more
cotton will be produced, destroy the
talks so as to Kill many Of the insects
and to cut off the food supply of the
others. Hasten the picking OF the cot
ton, and as soon as it is picked out
destroy the stalks. The Garner the
| stalks are destroyed the fewer WeeVlls
will survive to damage the crop next
year.
Some very valuable experiments
were made by the secretary of the
Louisiana State Crop Pest Commission
two years ago which show clearly the
value Of the early fall destruction of
boil WeeviIs
He found that where the \plants
were destroyed before October 10,
only three per cent of the Weevils sur
viVed the winter to InfeSt the next
years crop. Where the cotton plants
were destroyed between October 10
and October q, about IS per cent OF
the weevils survived the winter.
Where the cotton plants were de
stroyed between November l and No
yember %, about % per cent OF the
weevils survived. Where the cotton
plants were destroyed between No
yember rs and December Z, % per
cent of the weevils lived through the
winter, but where the destruction OF
the cotton plants was put off until the
middle of December or later, owe -
Fer cent of the boil weevils survived
the winter and were ready to attack
the next years crop.
These figures are so convincing that
it is incomprehensible that any farmer
should continue to try to grow cotton
tho picking out his crop early anC
completely destroying the cotton
plants-stalks, leaves, bolls and roots
long before The first autumn frost
Destruction of the cotton plants be
fore October Is allowed but three pc
cent of the weevils to live until the
next crop was subject to their attack
Against this small number of over
Wintered weevils, as has been repeat
eddy proved by experience, the planter
can make a good crop by the use o
proper early-maturing varieties, ant
by the adoption Of the intensive cul
tural methods. BY leaving the cottor
plants standing until after the middle
of December the farmer invites Ger.
tain destruction of the next year!
crop, for when he starts the sprins
had the previous fall he cannot hope
to make a crop by any known means
under the sun.
John L. Sullivan Farming.
tWest Abingdon fMass.) Dispatch t
New York Times.)
John L. Sullivan, former champion