Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1911-10-13
Of
BOIL WEEVILS
Address Made BY G. h. Afford, Special
Agent Of the Farmers Cooperative
Demonstration Work, at BrOOkhaven,
Miss, October 9TH.

cIOp VI COIIOu III the WeeFlI IeEEltOIgs
I call your attention to the destrue-
ton of weevils.
There are four methods of reducing
the number of weevils to the minimum.
First, completely denude the cotton
stalks of foliage, the weevils'u sole food,
pillow the stalks under good and deep,
or burn the stalks at the earliest pos
sible moment in the fall; second, at
some time during the winter, destroy
the rubbish in and about the fields which
might serve as alternating quarters for
weevils; third, when the weeyils appear
on the little cotton early in the spring,
pick them off and destroy them; fourth,
pick up the punctured squares and de-
stroy them for at least one month after
the first squares form on the cotton.
The results obtained by the United
States Bureau OF Entomology, the Farm
ers' Demonstration Work, the Louisiana
State Crop Pest Commission and thou
sands of successful farmers point TO the
supreme Importance of the early fall
destruction of the boil weeviPs sole food
supply, the squares, small bolls, and
foliage on the cotton stalks. The con-
clusion reached by thousands of expert
mentors justify me in making the state
ment that the most important step in
producing cotton in boil weevil territory
is the early fall destruction of the foil
age, squares, and immature punctured
hollis on the cotton stalks. In fact, l
feel almost justified in saying thai the
early fall destruction of the cotton stalks
outbalances all OTHER remedies that may
be employed to destroy the weevils.
In an experiment performed by the
Bureau of Entomology in Calhoun coun-
ty, Texas, the stalks growing on 41O
acres of land were destroyed early in
October. Careful records kept during
the following season showed that the
destruction of stalks on this land in
creased the yield S14.56 per acre. An
experiment was conducted on opposite
sides of the Guadalupe river near Vic
toria, Texas. The stalks were burned
on one farm the latter part of Septem-
Der, and on the other they were allowed
to stand until in the spring before plant
ing time. Forty acres on the farm on
which the stalks were destroyed made
fifteen bales. Forty acres on the other
farm made three and one-half bales.
Experiments conducted by the Louis
lana State Crop Pest Commission are
summed up in the following extracts
from Circular No. 80: Where the cotton
plants were destroyed before October Is,
only 3 per cent Of the weevils survived
the winter to infest the present years
crop. Where the stalks were destroyed
from October Is to October 81, an aver
age of about Is per cent of the weevils
passed through the winter successfully
Where the stalks were destroyed be-
tween November LIST and 25th, an ave
age of approximately % per cent of the
weeyils survived the winter. Postponing
fall destruction of cotton stalks until
the middle of December, or later, per.
mitted over 43 per cent of the weevils
to survive the winter and attack the
next crop. Where the stalks were de
stroyed before October 18th only 8 pei
cent of the weevils passed the winter
Where the stalks remained in the field
until December 18th over 43 per cent OF
the weevils survived the winter. These
figures will certainly silence all opposi
ton to the early fall destruction Of the
boil weevips food supply.
The farmers in the weevil infested
districts of South Mississippi have
picked millions of weevils off the little
cotton and have picked up tons of pune
turei squares this year. Millions Of
weevils appeared on the little cotton be
fore the squares began to form and the
expense and trouble of picking them wa.
a very considerable item. And let u
not forget that the expense of picking
weevils this year has been compare
lively light, on account of the early
freeze last fall. The effectiveness o.
the early freeze last fall was almost
equal to the complete early fall destruc
ton of cotton stalks. However, on,
lesson has, or should have, been thor
oughyl learned, and that is the urgent
need of so reducing the over-winteret
weevils as to reduce the cost and labol
of picking the weevils and squares Il
the minimum.
The heat and dryness of the season
for the last few weeks have everywhere
caused the bolls to open SO that tn
crop can be picked at an abnormall.
early date. If the farmers will accep'
.he opportunity that nature has pro
vided and devote the same enthusiasm
and energy to picking out the crop earl.
that they have to picking up punctureC
squares this year, the cotton stalks cal
all be destroyed by October goth. TIL
farmers are urged to rush picking will
all available labor until the cotton /
all picked and then destroy the foo
supply of the weevil at the earlies
date possible.
No definite rule can be laid down a
TO the exact time for destroying tn
sole food of the boil weevil in the fall
However, the rule should be to destro,
the squares, bolls, and foliage on tn
cotton stalks at the earliest possible me
ment in the fall. 1t is much better II
turn the cattle in the field. cut tn