The Prescott daily news., 1912-05-16

ton It IS hardly practicable to pick the weevils off the cotton.
 The over-wintered weevils cannot multiply until squares form on the cotton. The weevil passes the winter in the adult stage and breeds only in squares and bolls. The most conspicu- ous indication of the presence of the boil weevil is the flaring of the squares. When the weevil punctures a square 1t turns yellow and the bracts flare" open. The punctured square usually falls to the ground in a few days.
 The over-wintered weevils five only few weeks after they emerge from winter quarters in the spring. If the little cotton is thoroughly picked two or three times just a few days before the squares begin to form on the cot ton and every punctured square de stroyed for at least one month after the first squares form practically all of the over-wintered weevils will be dead and there will be no young wee vils. If it were possible to destroy every punctured square and boil and thereby prevent the appearance of new broods, the weevils could be ex- terminated in one year. While it is not possible to destroy every pune tured square and boil, we can by care full and painstaking work get practi- cally all of the punctured squares wbilo the cotton is small.
 hannGoiol nl@S picking the punctured squares de- bends 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 are killed during the hot, fair weather, especially if there Is dust mulch on the ground If the soil is moist, the rows narrow, the cotton rank and shades the ground, or if it 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 ly the cotton grows and the more the ground is shaded, the greater the ne cessity for gathering and destroying the punctured squares. Under any and all conditions it is certainly ad- visable to collect all the punctured 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 punc- tured squares. The punctured squares should be placed in wire cages for the reason that many weevil larvae in the |. infested squares harbor parasites. These parasites prey upon the boil weevil. There are about 9 species of parasites which by means of their ovi- positors 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 it kills. The bureau of entomology re- cords one instance in field near Rob- son, La, where the parasites Killed = per cent of the weevils. About the same time 61 per cent. Of the wccvils in a field near Victoria, Texas, were killed by parasites.
 The meshes of the wire cage to put the punctured squares in should be at least 16 to the inch. The parasites are very small and can easily escape while the weevils will soon die ?or lack of food. A timer will make the cages at small cost.
 The destruction of myriads cf wee- wills can be accomplished durins me growing season by working in co-o2ar- ation with the natural agencies tlat destroy the weevil. The temperature at the surface of the ground is gen. erally about 40 per cent. higher than at two or three feet above tho sutface. It Is not surprising that the cotton squares that fall on the hot ground in