The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1913-10-18
bUaN the STALKS.
tffuSs the Tensas Gsxette..g

From DR.. Mark Andrews, OF Fan
Antonio, Texas, who was for 20 fnaey
wears one of our best known citizens, the
Gazette has received most interesting
letter, recently published in the San An
tonic Express, written by W. T. Elliott,
on the methods adopted in that section
OF Texas to destroy the boil weevil. The
letter il too long to be published in our
columns, but the following synopsis OF
its contents may prove of value to our
readers.
Mr. Elliott states that the information
contained in his letter "has been gath.
cred by careful study Of the life, history
and characteristics of the boil weevil, a.
well az from the most scientific and prac-
teal farmers i'm Nueces county, and from
the United States Department of Agricul-
ture."
"The life, history and characteristics Of
the boil weevil may" according to Mr..
Elliott, "be summarized into eight divis-
ions, which are as follows":
J.. The boil weevil lives entirely on
cotton.
9. 1t IL easy to kill and dies very rap
idly during the latter part of fall and
winter.
3. The wcevil Is very slow to come out
OF alternating quarters during spring and
continues for some time in summer.
5. 1t is almost impossible for the wee.
vii to emerge when buried deep under
the soil.
6. The boil weevil cannot live wher
exposed to the cold winds of winter.
z. The immediate drying of the infest
ed squares destroys the immature stages
..of the weevil contained therein.
3. The uprooting and burning of cot
. ton stalks in September destroys over 81
per cent of the wecvils, while uprootin,
and burning ii cotton stalks in Novem
b,r destroys on.:y about 81 per cent.
Bulletin No. ia agricultural De
partment' says Mr.. Elliot, "shows tina
only rs per cent survived the winter
Therefore we readily we the necessity o
employing every possible means of de
,stroying the weevil DUNG the fall ant
winter. 1t is estimated that the progen,
of a single pair of weevils will exceed u,
600, 900 in one season."
''The key to the whole situatiG', can b
laconically given as follows: bur. tn
stalks;
Cotton raisers should, Immediately al
ser picking their cotton, begin the up
roofing ct cotton stalks before frost, o
before the stalks t~2in to die and becom
brittle. The stalks shoch l,e raked il
piles, and after they are dried, should b,
burned. If the stalks are permitted t,
dry before being raked into piles, tn
leaves, squares and old hollis will sha,te
of while being raked and some weevil
will be left upon the ground in thes
scstssed squares. bolls and leaves, an
from them will p,axc their way int
Il ground for alternating. On the oti
er hand, il Gse stake are raked viii
they are green there will he very sna
loss of squares and hole. Hence grea
or per cent of Nsevils can he LestrOye
il tie latter operation il pTfTmed."
Mr.. Elliot suggests that about Is row
Of stalks be uprooted and then one 70
lie skipped and continue in this MANN
over the fields. Then rake cross-wi
the rows and windrew the stalks upo
the rows that were left. The ohieet
ills being that the cotton stalks lie
standing will attract the weevil, and a
Tn h, stalks are dead, burn HE emit
windrow, thereby getting greater =
cent of weevil than otherwise.
"Actual tests by the Government sho
that less Il an one eer cent of the weevl
sarvi,e II the stalks are plowed mp ar
burned DUNG September, and that abo
l6 per cent survive if the stalks are n
destroyed until November"
"Of co, sse, it is impossible for all Sc
tions to uproot and burn the stalks
September, because some sections a
much earlier than others, hut il shon