Carolina watchman. [volume] (Salisbury, N.C.) 1871-1937, 1912-07-10

AAS OoAouCihl reSulC6 ODta1neQ from
picking the punctured squares de-
ponds mainly upon the seasons. When
the punctured squares fall to dry
ground in July and August, and are
subjected to the unobstructed rays Of
the hot sun. practically all Of the lar
vac and pupae are killed. Where the
soil Is dry and the cotton small prac-
tically all Of the "grubs" in the pune
tured squares r killed during the
hot, fair weather, especially If there
Is a dust mulch or the ground. II the
soil Is moist, the rows narrow, the
cotton rank and shades the ground,
or If 1t is cloudy practically all of the
grubs In the punctured squares will
come to maturity unless the squares
are picked and destroyed. The more
moisture in the ground, the more rank:
~ the cotton grows and the more the
ground la shaded, the greater the ne.
cessity for gathering and destroying
the punctured squares. Under n
and all conditions 1t Is certainly ad.
visable to collect all the p~unctured
squares for at least one month after
the first squares form on the cotton
The soil Is cool at this season OF the
year and the sun Is seldom very hot.
It is not advisable to burn the pune
tured squares. The punctured squares
should be placed in wire cages for the
a that many weevil larvae in the
infested squares harbor parasites.
These parasites prey upon the boil
weevil. There are about rs species OF
parasites which by means Of their owl.
p~ositors place eggs on the larvae and
pupae Of the weevil within the square.
The young Of the parasites feeds upon
the immature boil weevil which II
kills. The bureau of entomology re.
cords n instance in a field near Rob.
son, La, where the parasites killed n
per cent. Of the weevils. About the
same time 81 per cent. Of the weevila
in a field near Victoria, Texas, were
killed by parasites.
The meshes Of the wire cage to put
the punctured squares in should be al
least 16 to the inch. The parasites
are very small and can easily escape
while the weevils will soon die fol
lack Of food. A timer will make the
cages at a small cost.
The destruction Of myrfads of wee
wills can be accomplished during thu
growing season by working in cooper
alton with the natural agencies thai
destroy the weev1l. The temperature
at the surface Of the ground is gen.
orally about 40 per cent. higher thar
at two or three feet above the surface
It Is not surprising that the cotton
squares that fall on the hot ground In
July and August and are not shaded
are parched at once and the immature
weevils destroyed. II the immature
weevils are not killed at once by thu
heat. they will starve for lack of food
because Of the hardening of thu
square-the weevils' food.
The use Of brush on cultivators t.
brush or agitate the plants when cul
tivating the crop will assist to some
extent in destroying the weevil. Thu
punctured squares will be knocked
to the hot ground sooner than they
would fall and at the same time q few
adult weevils will be knocked to the
hot ground. When an adult weevil IL
thrown on the surface Of finely pull
verified hot soil, it Is killed almost in
stantly.
Attempts continue to be made t.
rn{9~n uJnaxy{lo To &h- -I-~aak-- -
poison would only remember that dur
ing the growing season the boil weevil
feeds only by inserting its beak deep
ly into the squares or hollis. they would
realize that 1t Is impossible to plac1
poison where the weevils will feed up
on it. In all the experiments per
formed in the field by the bureau Of
entomology very heavy applications
throughout the season from choppins
to picking have failed to show any ad
vantage in the use Of poison.