The Green Forest tribune., 1911-04-14
HOW TO CONTROL THE TWO WORST COTTON PESTS, THE BOIL WEEVIL AND
 THE BOIL WORM.
By Paul Hayhurst, Adj. Prof. of En
 tomology.

The boil weevil is the well-known snout beetle that passes it's grub and pupa stages in the squares and bolls of cotton. The boil worm is a large caterpillar that eats the big round holes so often seen in the bolls in late summer and fall, and is often re ferred to incorrectly as the sharp shooter" The boil weevil has ad vanced as far north in Arkansas, ac- cording to Dr. Hunters report, as Se- bastian, Logan, Pope. Conway, Faulk- ner, Pulaski, Jefferson, Arkansas, Lin coin and Desha counties. In the southern section it makes cotton growing unprofitable on many planta- tions, while in the northern line of counties it's damages are slight or un- noticed. The boil worm, on the other hand, is generally present all over the cotton growing portion of the state, and in those counties where the boil weevil is not troublesome 1t the leading cotton pest. This worm IS the young stage of small moth. These insect pests are two of the greatest discouragements which the cotton grower is up against in Ar kansas. But it is fact that they can both be satisfactorily controlled by making certain changes in the usual method of growing cotton. This cir cular Is, therefore, issued to tell the growers how to get good crops in spite of these pests.
 How to Control the Boil WeeviI.
 Success in making a crop under boil weevil conditions depends on two principles, viz, the destruction of the weevil and the production of an early crop, so that the bolls will be past the danger stage when the weevils become numerous enough to do any harm. The winter is the hardest time of the year for the weevil The average number wintering alive under favorable conditions in Texas is barely 3 per cent. The fall, therefore, is the time to strike the first blow at the weevils. At this time great hordes are entering winter quarters, many of which can be killed by the following methods: Pick out the crop early, and never mind the top crop, which cannot be secured under weevil conditions. Burn all the immature bolls and rubbish in and about the fields in October Not later than No vember l blow the remaining stalks under deeply unless all have been burned. This keeps the weevils from feeding in late fall on sprout cotton and from wintering under the debris The longer the destruction of the plant is postponed the more weevils will live over the winter to ruin the early crop. Once every three or four weeks during the winter cultivate the land with a section harrow or disk, so as to get it in good shape for plant ing in spring. Those that do succeed in wintering alive will not become nu- merous enough to do any harm until the bolls are past the danger size if an early crop is secured.
 Therefore take the following steps to get as early a crop as possible: Plant as early as you can after the danger of frost is past and before the spring drouth might retard germina- tion. Select only early-maturing, wig orous varieties of cotton that put out short-jointed fruit limbs near the ground. This does not make it impos- sible to grow large-bolled varieties in the south. The first cultivation should be deep and followed by shaI- low cultivations, one every week dur ing the season, thus tilling the ground fifteen times or more before the time to pick out the cotton. The seed should be planted on well-drained land to render frequent cultivation possible. Apply commercial fertil.