Crossville chronicle. [volume] (Crossville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1915-01-20

There is no possibility of entirely
eliminating the Mexican cotton boil
weevil. Various plans have been Of
fered, but all of them have been found
far from practical Even the most
promising suggestion-that of plant
ing no cotton for an entire year
would not prove effective. as has been
shown by DR.. w. d. Hunter OF the
United States bureau of entomology;
for the reasons among others that
there is always some volunteer cotton
upon which the weevils might feed,
and some of them would manage to
get through the season by feeding on
other plants.
With just few of them living
through the season and single fe-
progeny in single year, it is appa-
rent that they would soon be back
again as busy as ever. The only prac-
teal plan then, is to seek to control
THE pest and keep 1T down by every
possible means. This is the plan that
has been adopted by the United States
bureau of entomology and by the va
rious states which must deal directly
with the problem.
The Georgia state board of ento-
mology, under the direction of DR.. E.
Lee Worsham, has been at work for
years preparing the Georgia cotton
growers against the coming OF the
boil weevil. and based upon the work
has stated that Georgia Is further ad.
vanced in the matter of protective
measures than any other state which
has been attacked by the weevil.
In his bulletin Secretary Worsham
has pointed out the various we'll
known methods of control. Climate,
as he shows. has very direct effect
upon the abundance of the weevil.
Hot, dry weather during the summer
months may kill hundreds of the lar
vac; drought may prevent the forma-
ton of squares and thus give the vice.
wills no place to deposit their eggs.
Excessive cold weather in winter will
kill thousands of them in winter
quarters. Many of them are drowned
also by excessive rains or overflows,
and sudden cold snaps destroy them
in large numbers.
Birds are one of the most impor.
tant natural enemies of the boil Vice.
vii. There are So species which feed
on the adult bug. Among the most
important birds attacking them are
blackbirds, meadow larks, sparrows,
wrens and titmice.
While the foregoing agencies assist
in preventing the multiple
cation of the weevil, they cannot be
largely depended upon. Known meth
DDS of control must be used by the
farmer. Poisons are absolutely inef-
fective because the weevil is so thor.
Oughly protected by living through
out the most of it's life inside the cot
ton buds. Cultural methods are the
only really effective ones Among the
most important methods recommend
ed in Doctor Worsham's bulletin are
destroying dead stalks in the fall;
clean cultivation, crop rotation, early
planting, fertilizing and working,
hand picking of fallen squares, the
of early varieties and varie-
ties which do not form top crop in
the late fall, which show tendency to
proliferate. which tend to retain the
infested squares instead of shedding
them, and those which have hairy
growth on the stems, which impedes
the progress Of the weevil.
Alabama, Georgia and South Caro-.
Ina, Doctor Worsham points out, have
4 more serious problem than the other
states, because early varieties OF cot
ton which are less subject to attack
by the boil weevil have another en-
envy in these states in the disease
Known as black root or wilt Concern
ng this subject, Doctor Worsham
says:
BLACK root or Yjlt in some sections
If the South is more serious than the |
,oll weevil. 1t is fungous disease In |
be soil and has occurred In 81 Geor-
,ia counties. 1t is worse in the low |