Bisbee daily review., 1913-10-18
COTTON PERIL
 IN ARIZONA
Department of Agriculture Takes Prompt Measures to Eradicate Boil Weevil Be
 fore It Becomes a Menace


 Plant Industry of the Department of Agriculture announced the discovery of the boil weevil in Arizona. It was found breeding on the seed pods of I wild eotton-like plant known as Thur. heria. Recently, an agent of the Bu- resu of Entomology has made care ful investigation of the situation The results are of considerable importance in connection with the movement that is well under way to devote large areas of land to the growing of cot ton. Question immediately comes up as to effect of the presence of . weevil on the wild plant on cultivated areas. For this reason preliminary statement is issued at this time.
 It was found that the boll weevil occurs more or less regularly where the Thdrberia plant is found, although in several localities in which explor. ations were made the plant was pres eEt but the weevil was not Tn two canyons in the Santa Rita mountains. TOT the weevil were found. It is evi
 
 found in considerable number. At Roosevelt tho Thurbria plart was found out no weevils, but the exami nation was comparatively early in the season and later observations might have revealed it's presence. In the Tucson mountains neither the plants nro the weevil were found It is evi. dent from these observations. and oth CTS that were made. that the weevi' is widespread in the mountains Of southeastern Arizona, and it would hc easy for it to reach cultivated cottor in certain localities. As a matter O fact. in one place near Tucson, the weevil was found about five miles from q field which was planted in cotton for the first time this year. There seems vii will attack cotton readily. in fact it has done so in several experiments
 Tn Texas it is well known that dry conditions tend strongly to check the development of the weevil in fact, this is the reason why the insect has not advanced far into the western part Of the state. The form of the weevi which is found in Arizona. however has evidently adapted itself by Ions occupancy to regions of very small rainfall. If it thriVes on the Thurberia plant in Arizona there seems little doubt that 1t will thrive even better on planted cotton with the moisture resulting from irrigation. In fact, fl appears that the conditions 0; culture n Arizona would give the weeYil an impulse to develop mere rapidly and 10 cause much more damage than it does to the wild cotton-like plants It is considered that the situation described carries great danger to the prospective cotton industry in Arf z0na, and importance of destroying the native plants which supports the weevil should be emphasized. There Is no apparent reason why the weevi would not injure the crop even more than it does in Texas. There is only one consideration that tends to show that the damage may be less than 1T other regions. At present the Arizona l weevil apparently has only one gen eration- This is the result If it's adap ] tation 10 the host plart which fruits { during only short period in the year | The weevil has adopted the habit o i passing the winter and large part o. l the summer in a quiescent state tC i attack the buds of the ThuTberia 1T 1 the fall. This method of reproduction i is quite different from that Of tn, l true boil weevil which reproduce by 1 several generations during the season | It is not believed, however the Ari zona weevil will persist in it's presen 1 when it has an opportunity Of breed ! ing on cotton Tn all probability tht i opportunities that the continuous pro | ductiou of fruit would give the in l sect would cause it to take on tn ! same habit of numerous generation | that the true boil weevil displays. Th ! most that can be said is that tn ! change might take several years time i The subject of the possible cOutro ! of the Thprberia weevil in Arizona i under consideration, and further fiel 1, studies will be made. At the presen
 time there is but one recommends
 tion that the Department is in Q pos : ton to make; this is that the Thu | beria plants which are found to b , infested by weeviIs should be de
 stroved whenever they occur. Tn
 plant is perennian and grows from ! to 12 feet in height It grows in tn
 canyons and on the divides. It ca, ] easily be recognized by it's genera resemblance to the cotton plants. Tn i leaves are deeply cleft, much lik ] those Of Sea Island cotton and tn
 fruit resembles ctosly a very smal
 cotton boil.