Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1911-10-12
OF
BOIL WEEVILS
Address Made by G. H. Afford, Special
Agent of the Farmers Cooperative
Demonstration Work, at Brookhaven,
Miss, October 7th.

We must reduce the number of wee
wills to the minimum and grow an early
crop of cotton in the weevil territory.
l call your attention to the destruc-
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' 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 weevils 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 IN 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 weevirs sole food
supply, the squares, small bolls, and
foliage OF 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
bolls on the cotton stalks. In fact,
feel almost justified in saying that 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 $14.56 per acre. All
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 OF
which the stalks were destroyed made
fifteen bales. Forty acres on the othe-
farm made three and one-half bales.
Experiments conducted by the Louis
lana State Crop Pest Commission arr
summed up in the following extract
from Circular No. IS: Where the cottol
plants were destroyed before October Is
only 8 per cent of the weevils survive,
the winter to infest the present year
crop. Where the stalks were destroye,
from October Is to October 27, an aver
age of about Is per cent of the weevil
passed through the winter successfully
Where the stalks were destroyed be
tween November list and 25th, an aver
age of approximately 20 per cent of tn
weevils survived the winter. Postponin
fall destruction of cotton stalks unit
the middle of December, or later, PEE
mitted over 43 per cent OF the weeyil
to survive the winter and attack tn
next crop. Where the stalks were d,
stroyed before October 18th only 3 pc
cent of the weevils passed the winte
Where the stalks remained in the fel
until December 18th over 43 per cent
the weevils survived the winter. Thes
figures will certainly silence all Oppos
ton to the early fall destruction of tn
boil weeviTs food supply,
The farmers in the weevil infeste
districts of South Mississippi hay
picked millions of weevils off the lit.
cotton and have picked up tons of pun
tured squares this year. Millions {
weevils appeared on the little cotton b
fore the squares began to form and I'll
expense and trouble of picking them Wa
a very considerable item. And let
not forget that the expense of pickir
weevils this year has been compar
lively light, on account of the ear
freeze last fall. The effectiveness (
the early freeze last fall was almo.
equal to the complete early fall destru
ton of cotton stalks. However, OF
lesson has, or should have, been tho
oughyl learned, and that is the urgel
need of so reducing the over-winterC
weevils as to reduce the cost and lab
of picking the weevils and squares
the minimum.
The heat and dryness of the seasC
for the last few weeks have everywhe
caused the hollis to open so that Il
crop can be picked at nh abnormal
early date. If the farmers will acceI
the opportunity that nature has pr
vided and devote the same enthusias
and energy to picking out the crop ear
that they have to picking up punctur,
squares this year, the cotton stalks CT
all be destroyed by October goth. IT
farmers are urged to rush picking wi
all available labor until the cotton
all picked and then destroy the TO,
supply of the weevil at the earle
date possible.
No definite rule can be laid-down
to the exact time for destroying t
sole food of the boil weevil in the ia
However, the rule should be to destr,
the squares, bolls, and foliage on t
cotton stalks at the earliest possible n