The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1914-12-19

There remain but three more impor
tant cotton states for the boil weevi
to invaGe-Georgia, South Carolina
and North Carolina. 1t will, it is
true, get over a little bit into Ten
nessee, but in its onward march east
ward from the lowermost Texas Dor
der up to the Georgia line, its north
ernmost limit in Arkansas has been
but little north of the southern Ten
nessee boundary.
The Mexican cotton boil weevil
which is its proper designation, came
into this country from Mexico, ant
first made its appearance at Browns
vile, Texas, in 1892. The first official
record of it's injury to cotton goes
back to 1885, when specimens were
sent from northern Mexico to DR.. c. V
Riley, entomologist of the United
States department OF agriculture.
Since its appearance at Brownsville
p years ago, the weevil has advanced
steadily through the southern states
eastward and northward at the rate OF
about sixty-five miles a year, and is
now found in Texas, Alabama, Arkan
sas, Mississippi, Louisiana, Oklahoma
and Florida The weevil is now on
the southwestern borders of Georgia
right at the Georgia line; next year
1915-is practically certain to see II
well established in the southwestern
Georgia counties. It would have been
here this year, and was due according
to all calculations based on experience
and observation, but for unfavorable
weather conditions, including an ex.
tremely cold winter and an unusual
late summer drought.
Once in Georgia, it is anticipated
from its past performances, it will
cross the state in four to five years,
then jump into South Carolina.
In remarkably well-considered and
carefully prepared bulletin just issued
by the Georgia state department of
entomology, State Entomologist e.
Lee Worsham, who has made exten.
sive study Of the boil weevil problem,
presents some interesting facts with
regard to its origin and progress
through the cotton growing states, to-
gether with the extensive damage II
has inflicted. Doctor Worsham points
GU. hat the extreme disaster suffered
by the farmers of the earlier states
stricken, when land values depreciat-
ed rapidly and. many were forced to
leave their homes, was due largely to
their state of unpreparedness.
1t took the weevil about fifteen
years to spread over Texas. In 1901
the loss in 80 infested Texas counties
was 1O0,920 bales; in 1902 the loss in
40 infested counties was 100000 bales;
in 1903 in the same number of infest-
ed counties, the loss was 100000
bales, while in 1904, 50 infested coun-
ties show loss of $4,000 bales. In
actual cash cotton sales United States
bureau Of entomology figures show
Texas lost in 1903 about SIS, ZOO, 900;
in 1904, about $22, 00O, 900, and in 1909,
when there was a slump of nearly l..
100000 bales over the year preceding,
the loss to that state was estimated
at $SS, 056,5O0.
There has been some misapprehen-
sion regarding the situation in Texas,
because the total crop in that state
has remained about the same, in most
years, at least; and many have argued
from this that the weevils do not do
much damage. But they overlook the
fact that there has been a large in
crease in the Texas acreage from
year to year. growing from $500, 900
acres in 1899 to nearly II 600, 900 acres
in 1911. The western and northwest
ern sections Of Texas have not been
favorable climatically to the weevil,
as low winter temperatures and hot,
dry summers have killed them of in
large numbers. But recently it has
been discovered that a slightly differ
ent type Of weevil, which can with
stand these climatic conditions, has
invaded these sections of Texas and
WV Ill Cav " SOtIou tucIc 10 DIS Sc
rious as in the newly invaded sections
by the well-known and more common
type of weevil.
The destruction in Mississippi is
well shown by this extra from a bull
letin issued by Census Director VIM.
]. Harris:
In 1907, the year before the advent
Of the weevil into Mississippi, the pro-
duction Of cotton in seven selected
counties in the southwestern part of
the state amounted to 49, 100 bales,
with value of nearly $11 100000 In
1909, when the weevil had become
well established in these counties, the
production had dropped to S9,577
bales; in 1910, to 61,432 bales; in
1911, to 1886 bales. and in 1912. to
Inferior Pigs.