Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1915-01-08


Bureau Of
There remain but three more impor-
tant cotton states for the boil weevil
to invade-Georgia, South Carolina
and North Carolina. It will. 1t Is
true, get over q 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. and
first made its appearance at Browns
Vile, Texas. in 1892. The first ofhcial
record of its 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 it's appearance at Brownsville
% years ago, the weevil has advanced
steadily through the southern states,
eastward and northward at the rate Of
about sixty-five miles q year. and is
now found in Texas. Alabama, Arkan-
sas, Mississippi, Louisiana, Oklahoma
and Florida. The weevil IL 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, 1t will
cross the state in four to I'VE years
then jump into South Carolina
In a remarkably well-considered and
carefully prepared bulletin just issuet
by the Georgia state department o
entomology, State Entomologist E
Lee Worsham, who has made exten
sive study Of the boil weevil problem
presents some interesting facts witt
regard to its origin and progress
through the cotton growing states. to
gether with the extensive damage
has inflicted. Doctor Workman point
out that the extreme disaster suffere'
by the farmers Of the earlier state
stricken. when land values depreciai
ed rapidly and many were forced Z
leave their homes, was due largely
their state Of unpreparedness.
II took the weevil about fifteel
years to spread over Texas. In 100
the loss in 80 infested Texas countie
was 100.920 bales; in 1902 the loss 1
40 infested counties was 200. 900 bales
in 1908 in the same number Of infes
cd counties, the loss was 500. 90
bales, while in 1904, SO infested coul
ties show q loss Of $4,000 bales.
actual cash cotton sales United State
bureau Of entomology figures sho
J Texas lost in 1908 about SIS 200. 00t
in 1904, about go, 600. 900. and in 100
! when there was q slump of nearly
100000 bales over the year precedin
the loss to that state was estimate
at $ss, 056.600.
: There has been some misapprehe
: sion regarding the situation In Texs
because the total crop in that sta
has remained about the same. in mo
years. at least: and many have argu'
from this that the weevils do not {
much damage. But they overlook q
fact that there has been . large
: crease In the Texas acreage fro
+ year to year. growing from $780,
acres in 1899 to nearly II, 000, 900 acr
in 1911. The western and northwe
ern sections Of Texas have not be
favorable climatically to the weev
a. low winter temperatures and b,
dry summers have killed them on
, large NUMBERS. But recently 1t b
. been discovered that . slightly din
Q emit type Of weevil, which can VII
q stand these climatic conditions. b
. invaded these sections Of Texas q
, the threat to cotton there IL as {
y rious as in the newly invaded sectio
o by the well-known and more comm
type Of weevil.
o The destruction In Mississippi
- well shown by this extra from q b
= letin issued by Census Director w
u ]. Harris:
d I'm 1907. the year before the adve
y of the weevil into Mississippi, the p
- duction of cotton in seven select
u counties in the southwestern part
= the state amounted to 1s1. 100 bal
with value of nearly $11.00o.000
1909, when the weevil had becol
well established in these counties.
10 production had dropped to S9,s
;" bales: IN 1910, to 61.433 bales:
3 1911, to 37,S16 bales, and in 1912.
>~~~~~~S~~~~.~~~~
le Inferior Pigs.
Il Every inferior pig should 90
70 quickest route to the pork consum
without ever being allowed to rep
duce. Then there would be few
scrub porkers on the market to
O. preciate prices.
=, Carr q Chicken ceopa
.: Keep the chicken coops clean {
= . q