The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1911-12-13

causes for this great voluntary
spread One is undoubtedly instinct
and is prompted by hunger and by
weather conditions. The secondary
ause is the lack of food which may
be brought on by drought, by defo-
liation of by the overproduction of
weevils.
When the flight is commenced it
seems that there should be no stop
it, but there is as definite a law
determining the distance and limita-
ions of the flight as there is law
determining the beginning of it. If
cotton is abundant in front of the
lying weeyils they will quickly find
sufficient food to cause them to set
tie. If cotton is scarce they may go
long distances before finding suffi-
cient to satisfy them all Thus we
have established the law which
states that supply of food determines
he distance of the flight
The involuntary natural spread of
he weevil is that which is caused by
great winds or great floods or by
latural drainage of the cotton fields.
1t not unfrequently happens that a
heavy rain will wash many cotton
squares from the hilltops to the low
lands and sometimes into creeks and
rivers. These squares containing the
young weevils will wash for consid-
cradle distances before they are
stranded on the shores.
The artificial spread of the boil
weevil is of extreme Importance and
is in many ways closely related to
the natural spread. When a farmer
takes his cotton to the gin he fire.
quently carries many boil weeyils on
his wagon. When he reaches the
gin yard the stirring of the cotton
as it is being drawn into the gin
causes the weevils to fly in some
cases to the wagons which may be
ready to return to the farms which
are uninfested.
viii Go Through Gin.
Some of the weeyils are carried
with the cotton into the gin and
may, with some forms of ginning ma
chinery, succeed in passing through
the entire gin with the seed. These
weevils are then carried with this
seed back to the farm. Sometimes
this seed is sold at a cOnsidera-
Bile distance from the place where
it was produced. 1t may easily be
seen how the weevil may thus be
in the fall. Some of the
seed containing live weevils is shipp-
ed by the gin to the oil mill, which
may be many miles away. The seeds
are removed at the oil mills and the
cars sent on for other shipments. 1t
has been my personal observation
that frequently these cars are not
cleaned up and contain a considera-
bic amount of cotton seed in the cor
ners and on the floor. 1t would be
very easy for some weevils to be left
with this seed.
There is probably not much dam
ger in the shipment of cotton seed
huIlS from the oil mill. There have.
however, been cases of shipments of
nuIIS for seVenty-five miles for feed
ing OF cattle, and if these shipments
mad been made in cars which had
Just previously carried infested cot
ton seed we may easily see how the
Doll WeeVll may be thus distributed
When the boil weevil is very
~ uiluduJ III d community Unefe is
general exodus of the
weaker type of labor. This labor
frequently carries with it household
goods and cotton pickers' sacks.
There have been definite cases of
he spread of, boil weeVil by such
means.
Weevils have also been found to
De carried in the bagging of baled
cotton; passing vehicles, trains, etc,
going through highly infested coun-
ry where the weevils are beginning
o fly are apt to carry many restless
Feevils. Finally we find that there
ire actually persons of malicious in
ent who purposely carry weevils to
territory and let them
Dose. Some people out of curiosity
II carelessness take live weevils into
lninfested territory in order to show
hem to their friends. These mali |
ious as well as careless actions are
qually punishable in accordance
With the laws Of all of the cotton I
tates.