Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1912-09-23
BOIL WEEV|L EXPERT
TO VALLEY FARMERS
Hardy Dial, Frisco Representative,
Explains Some Points Not Yet
Made Clear-Urges Cooperation.
San Benito, Tex, Sept. 21. 1912.
The Brownsville Herald,
Brownsville. Texas.

The Brownsville Herald,
Brownsville, Texas.
AS | have been misunderstood
some, by the papers as well as by
some people, as to how l propose to
eliminate the weevil from this dis
trict, or reduce them to such an ex-
tent that cotton can be grown here
successfully, | send herewith brief
statement of the principal points
which | wish to impress upon the
cotton growers:
First will ask all farmers and
land owners to join in a campaign
by cutting stalks from a sufficient
number of rows to burn, leaving a
center green row against which to
pile the stalks cut. Let stand until
dry enough to burn. Then burn them
as we'll as all weeds and trash
piles near the field. BY doing this,
believe that you will destroy rs
per cent of the weevils. You would
get all the larvae in the bolls as well
as practically all young or imma-
tured, and many of the adult weevil.
BY the above method the weevils
would collect on the green rows lef
standing, as it would furnish food
for them until the cut stalks dry
sufficiently to burn. | believe then,
that of the number left, which
would go into the sleepy or hibernat-
ing state, at least 1 5 per cent Of
them would perish during that per-
iod. Then in the spring, while the
cotton is still small, before the time
for putting on forms and squares,
believe / have discovered dope that
can be sprayed on the young cotton
that will get most of the weevils
that have lived through the hiber-
mated state.
Now, if we make this campaign,
| wish to ask the cooperation of
everybody. | will ask everyone tc
keep. down all perennial cotton from
coming up from old roots. Let's
keep food away from the weevils as
long as possible in the early spring,
when they first come out of winter
quarters. They soon starve to
death.
Next spring cotton should not be
planted until all danger of cool
nights and days have past. Cotton
is summer plant and will not do
any good during the winter months.
! was sent here by the Frisco Of
ficials to cooperate with Mr.. Doherty
who is general manager of the st
Louis, Brownsville and Mexico rail-
road, for a thirty day campaign to
investigate the boil weevil condi-
.tions and to see whether it would be
advisable to carry the work further
All depends upon the cooperation
offered by the people. However, J
wish to sax that many have already
commenced to cut their stalks and
burn them.
Everywhere l. have spoken and
talked to the individual, on the
whole, they have heartily promised
their support. The outlook for a
successful campaign against the
weevil looks very bright to me in
deed. If you let the weevil destroy
your cotton another year like it has
this year, it will give your splendid
Valley a setback, which will take
five or ten years to live down. Let
the people rise up in one mighty eff
fort and say: Death to the boil
weevil. By doing so we will WIN.
Respectfully,
HARDY DIAL,
Special cotton grower and weevil ex-
pert for Frisco Railway Co.
. II