The leader-enterprise. [volume] (Fitzgerald, Ga.) 1912-1915, 1913-10-10
at There Is No Occasion for Dis
couragement or Grave Alarm,
if We Fight.

Atlanta, Ga.-When the Mexican cot
ton boil weevil comes to Georgia-and
the chances are that a few of him
at least are already here-he is COM
ing to stay.
Although determination is impossi-
Ole, State Entomologist E. Lee Wor-
sham says there is no occasion for dis
couragement or grave alarm, five
fight. Once here he will remain
perpetual problem, and for the cot
ton grower it will be simply a cues
ton of the best methods of keeping the
pest effectively in check.
Energetic enforcement of Georgia's
quarantine regulations against the boil
weevil by the department is the one
thing that has kept the pest out of
the state so long. The legislature,
which has just adjourned gave the
SuE2 of $4,000 for the continuation of
the fight against the weevil. The
money is being spent largely In edu-
eating the farmers as to what to do to
minimize the effect of the weevil when
it comes.
1T is our plan to organize addi-
tioEal cotton breeding clubs during
the winter and spring in South Geor-
gia counties said Mr.. Worsham. 1--WE
want to render the greatest service
to the greatest possible number with
the appropriation which has been
made for this work"
Price S<rong Convert
Commissioner of Agriculture J. D.
Price, as the result of recent trip
to Louisiana, Mississippi and Alaba-
ma, is complete. convert to the real
iZatiOn Of the damage that the boil
weevil has done and can dc. Com
missioner Price now declares that if it
should appear suddenly in the cotton
fields of Georgia tomorrow, it would
throw the state into panic. AS a val
liable method of fighting the weevil
which attacks only cotton, Mr. Price
urges Investigation of crops and the
raising of more meat, forage and food
st1lffs at home.
Entomologist Worsham says the
fight is going to be a hard one, but
with careful effort the farmers of
Georgia can minimize the effect of
it to such an extent that it will be
comparatively small. AS an indica.
ton of the necessity for constant Wig
lance and attention, it is pointed out
that each female will lay about 300
eggs which come to maturity within
Is to rs days, according to the season.;
and there are about four generations
each year, so that each female may
give rise to 12,500,000 progeny
The boil weevil made its appearance
in Southwestern Texas in 1892, and
has made an annual advance of so
to 125 miles eastward. 1t is now in
Southeastern Alabama, and is expect
ed to be found in Southwestern Geor-
gia before the end of the season. Mr..
WOrsham says:
Attacks Squares and BoIls.
"The female deposits her eggs on
Young squares aid bolls, preferably
GO1e former. During the early season
: ~ does not attack mature bolls, but
When food is scarce in the late season,
bolls are badly infested
"The boil weevil winters under
trash and rubbish on the borders of
cotton fields. Enough of them sur
vive to make breeding rapid and num-
erous in the spring.
'The boil weevil travels by means
of its WINGS, and can easily fly 25 to
so miles at single fight, in it's
search for food
In many places the weevil has pro-
duced a condition akin to a panic. be-
cause of decentralization of labor and
business generally.
But the farmers, in infested areas
have demonstrated that cotton can be
grown successfully under boil weevil
conditions. 1t will be atNleast two or
three years before the weevil covers
enough territory in Georgia, to do a
great deal of damage. If our farmers
begin now, they can prevent, to
large degree, the usual demoraliza.
ton and depreciation of land values
How to Control 1t.
'The principal methods resorted to
in weevil control are, first, the plant
ing of early maturing varieties. The
growers in boil weevil territory who
are growing cotton successfully, plant
as early as is reasonably safe and
make it a point to plant the varieties
which mature earliest. The weevils
will not attack mature bolls early in
the season.
'In the second place, hand picking
of weevils and infested squares is re.
sorted to. The boil weevil does not
damage young cotton to any great ex-
tent, but waits for the young squares
to appear Every leaf should be turn
ed over and examined for weevils and
the bugs picked off. Many have found
that the best time to begin picking is
about ten days before the squares
begin to form, because about 80 per
cent. Of the weevils die before this
time Cotton should be harvested rap
idly, and the best method Is to chop