The weekly Iberian. (New Iberia, La.) 1894-1946, 1914-07-25
USELESS PREPARATION
FOR BOIL WEEV|L.
BY Il, ) Tucker,
Associate Entomologist, LoulSl'
ana Agricultural Experiment
Station Baton ROupe, La.

ana Agricultural Experiment
Station, Baton Rouge, la.
Every once in awhile, rtalm
gains currency through newspa
pers and even banking and mer
camille channels of publicity de-
claring that special preparation
has been found which after being
applied upon cotton plants VIII
protect or save the crop from ra-
wages of the boil weevil. Despite
all that has been said or proved
by State and Government iuvesti-
gators to ehoW the fallacy Of such
methods of treatment, many plan
ters waste their time and money
trying out some kind of com
pound Iotteis can be produced
by the dozen which were written
by these growers stating that
they failed to obtain the least
benefit from the use of the sub
stances
That firms or members Of a
business concern should be de
Ceived INTO advocating or praciic
ally indorsiDg the assertions of
irresponsible eXperlmeDters OF
parties III the face of expert ;esti-
m0ny is nothing else than culp pa
/, Ia ~ Il ut hat al 4 an hf
state aud Government specialists
Is to be disfegarded, THESE officers
must then take steps to expose
the fakes aud frauds whenever
they come 10 notice.
An idea which has been advanc
ed to the effect that oil soaked
guuny sacks or cloths when drag
ged over cotton pl ms during cul
ovation Of fields Ia sufficient TO
leave an 0dor, especially II strong
smelling substances like tar and
moth bar have been combined
with the oil, and thus be effective
enough to repel the weevl from
one blowing to the next can have
no merit III fact, Examination
will reveal a. many weevls Oh
cotton 40 treated from The day fol
loving the application as before
it, while conditions are otherwise
the same.
The use OF compounds for the
purpose OF producing q lasting re-
pellent scent on plants Ia futile
The impossibllity of Obtaining 10y
such measures effective immunity
of he live growth TO infestatlou
10y pests is too evident. Whatev-
er odor is given off by the prepar.
alton must be speedily dispelled
IN the air and can have no chance
to act materially upon insects.
All substances which produce re.
pellent scents or even killing
fumes active upon insects are only
servlceable when used in enclosed
spaces. None can be safely or
feasibly applied on exposed plant
growth TO drive and keep away
pests Owing to The bracts which
nature provides for covering the
cotton forms, no practical way
whatever of reaching or dislogd
the weevils hiding under the en-
closures can be devised.
In speaking of sprays, poisons
and umigants or smokes, Mr.. w.
ID. Hunter has made some con.
vincing statements of which the
following may be quoted from
Farmers Bulletin 5ii, u. $. De
partment: Gan insuperable diff
Guilty that these special prepare.
tons have encountered IL the i'm.
practicabilty of the application in
the field. Hundreds of known
substances will kill the weevii
when brought in contact with it.
The difficulty ia TO apply them In
an economical way in the field.
A final word of advice by the
sime authority deserves to be i'm.
pressed upon cotton planters:
"Do not go to the expense of buy
ing special preparations for de
stroying the weevi. Disappoint.
ments and loss are certain to fol.
low