Farmers' champion. (Elgin, Okla.) 1912-1922, 1914-12-16

There remain bat three more impor-
tant eo,tou states for the boil weevil
70 t1vat-Gso-Eia. South Carolina
and North Carolina. II will. II is
true. get over 4 little bit into Ten
rsssse. bat IL It's onward march east.
der Up TO the Georgia line. lis north.
~ limit In Arkansas has been
but little north OF the southern Ten.
rssses boundary.
The Mexican cotton boil weevil.
which IS It's proper designation. came
into this country from Mexico. and
first made It's appearance az Browns
vile. Texas. In 1892. The frs. official
record Of It's injury TO cotton goes
back to 1855. when specimens were
sent from northern Mexico to Dr. c. V.
Riley. entonologist Of the United
States department Of agriculture.
Since its appearance at Brownsville
q years ago the weevil has advanced
steadily through the southern states.
eastward and northwsrd at the rate OF
about si1ty-fve miles Q 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
ISIS practically certain TO see Il
well established in the southwestern
Georgia counties. II would have been
here this year. and xas 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. II Is anticipated
from its past performances. II will
cross the state in four TO FIVE years.
then jump into South Carolina
In a remarkably well-considered and
carefully prepared bulletin Just issued
by the Georgia state department OF
entomology. State Entomologist F.
Lee Worsham. who has made exten.
sive study OF the boil weevil problem,
presents some interesting facts with
regard 70 its origin and progress
through the cotton growing states, to-
gether with the extensive damage II
has inflicted Doctor Worsham points
out that the extreme disaster suffered
by the farmers OF the earlier states
stricken, when land values depreciat.
ed rapidly and many were forced Ia
leave their homes. was due largely 10
their state OF unpreparedness.
II took the weevil about fifteen
years to spread over Texas. In 1901
the loss In 32 infested Texas counties
was 100, 900 bales; in 1902 the loss In
80 infested counties was 200. 900 bales
In 1903 in the same number Of infest
ed counties. the loss was 500. 00C
bales. while in 1904. SO infested coun
ties show a loss Of $50, 900 bales. In
actual cash cotton sales United States
bureau OF entomology figures show
Texas lost in 1903 about SIS. 600, 900
in 1904. about s22. 000. 900. and in 1909
when there was a slump OF nearly 1,
300. 900 bales over the year preceding
the loss TO that state was estimated
at SIS. 056. 500.
There has been some misapprehen
sion regarding the situation In Texas
because the total crop In that state
has remained about the same. In mos,
years, at least: and many have argued
from this that the weeviIs do not dc
much damage. But they overlook the
fact that there has been a large In
crease in the Texas @ a from
year to year. growing from $500. 900
acres In 1899 to nearly IL .000. 900 acres
In 1911. The western and northwest
ern sections OF Texas have not beer
favorable climatically to the weevil
as low winter temperatures and hot
dry summers have killed them on II
large numbers. But recently IL hai
been discovered that a slightly differ
ent type OF wecvil. which can with
stand these climatic conditions, ha.
invaded these sections OF Texas an,
the threat to cotton there is as Sc
rious as in the newly invaded section.
by the well-known and more common
type Of weevil.
The destruction In Mississippi Il
well shown by this extra from a bull
le,in issued by Census Director VIM
J. Harris:
In 1907, the year before the adven
Of the weevil into Mississippi. the pro
duction Of cotton In " selectet
counties In the southwestern part o
the state amounted to 1911. 100 bales
with . value Of nearly I'll 900. 600. Il
1909. when the weevil had becom,
well established IN these counties. th.
production had dropped TO 1857
baleo: In 1910. 10 6l.l3l halas: n