Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1915-01-22

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 a few of them living
through the season and a single fe-
male producing as many as 12,500,000
progeny in a single year. 1t 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 it 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
vyb{ch hos hoor Houo nontcr uuc<ar
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 well.
known methods Of control. Climate.
as he shows, has q 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 wee
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 wee.
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
materially in preventing the multipli.
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 its 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
Manipulating of fallen squares. the
planting of early varieties and varie
ties which do not form top crop IL
the late fall, which show a tendency tt
proliferate, which tend to retain tn,
infested squares instead Of sheddin,
them, and those which have a hair!
growth on the stems. which impedel
the progress Of the weevil.
Rotation of crops Is not only Of ben
eft to the soil, but may result II
placing the new cotton crop at q poin
a considerable distance from wher,
the weevils hibernate. Thus weakene,
by winter, many Of them will die be
fore reaching the cotton and it will
have a better opportunity to reacl
its growth before being attacked.
a rapid early growth can be secure,
by early planting. the cotton will hav,
made considerable progress before tn
weevils get in motion. The stronger
faster growth a planter can get earl
in the spring, the more he can hop
to make. The planting should com
at tn, earliest possible ate after tn
ground Is right. Fertilizing and worh
ing mean quick. strong growth. The
often mean the difference between sue
cess and failure. Manipulating Of fall
en- squares, which should be burned
gets rid Of many of tho parasites.
Alabama, Georgia and South Care
lima, Doctor Worsham points out, hav
a more serious problem than the othe
states. because early varieties Of col
ton which are less subject to attacl
by the boil weevil have another en-
envy In these states in the diseas