The Hattiesburg news., 1915-02-13
FROIECT|ON AGAINST
BOIL WORM NEEDED
AGRICULTURAL DE PARTMENT
SAYS MEASURES MUST BE
ENFORCED.

Washington, d. c., Feb. <13.-The re-
suits of Government investigation
into the measures required to prevent
the introduction of the pink boil worm
into the cotton states indicate that 1t
will be necessary to adopt the restric-
tions which were proposed and dis
cussed at public hearing held at the
Department of Agriculture in Wash
ington on May Is, 1914. In brief, the
measures then proposed were: ~
An order placing similar restrictions
on the importation of line cotton to
those which now apply to nursery
stock, so that the entry of such cot
ton may be limited to the Northern
states. (S) A quarantine order regu-
lating the movement of imported lint
cotton from the Northern to the cot
ton-growing states. (3) A quarantine
order restricting the movement of Ha-
waiian cotton to certain Northern
states.
After the hearing, action on these
proposed measures was postponed un-
til fuller information could be OBJ
tanned in regard to the Utilization Of
foreign lint cotton in Southern mills.
1t was also desired to test the efficacy
in practice of burning each day the
picker waste from this cotton and to
make tests OF certain means of dis
injecting baled cotton which have
been suggested. From the reports re-
ceived by the Department of Agricul-
ture from it's agents, however, it now
appears that neither disinfection nor
burning can be relied upon to prevent
the introduction of the pest.
In the burning of the picker waste,
considerable laxity was found. In
many cases the enforcement of this
requirement was entrusted to subordi-
mates who were either Indifferent to
or ignorant of the danger from negli-
gence. In the opinion of the depart
ment, therefore, 1t is thoroughly un-
safe to rely upon the mill owners to
have such material destroyed. Even
If this were not the case, however.
there would still be the danger that
the pink boil worm might escape from
seeds adhering to or near the surface
Of the bales which are often kept in
storage for long time. There is an
even greater danger in cotton which
has been opened and put through the
bale breaker and then left to condi-
tion for several days before being
cleaned.
Disinfection of the bales of lint was
found to be equally unsatisfactory
Fumigation in fact had to be aban.
doned on account of the expense in.
< yolved and the possibility of injuring
the fiber. 1t was found, moreover
that adequate disinfection of the cen
y ter of the very dense Egyptian bales
was a practical impossibility The
destruction of the insect by heat is moi
believed to be advisable on account o.
the increased danger of fire in storage
warehouses.
1t seems, therefore, that II the pinl
boil worm is to be excluded from thu
United States the measures proposed
at the public hearing of May Is mus
now be adopted. These measures
will place no serious handicap on thu
Importation and utilization of foreign
cottons in manufacturing districts
north OF the cotton-growing states
The admission of foreign and Ha
waiian cotton under permit will pro
ceed as at present but will be limited
tes. special ports of entry. These will
: include New York. Boston and SaI
Francisco, which receive PRACTICAL!
all of the cotton that now reaches the
United States.
The purpose of the second measure
now proposed Is to regulate the move
ment of the imported cotton into th'
cotton-growing states after it ha
been admitted into this country. BE
fore this cotton can be sent to South
ern mills 1t will be required to b
stored in Northern warehouses for 2
months, a period which will make |
absolutely certain that any insect