Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1915-09-12
(By W. ELDRED WHALEY.)

bool weeyil has made its appearance in
several cotton fields in this vicinity.
and is now working in certain fields as
far east of here as Dixie, in Brooks
county according to statements mad :
today by the officials at the Field
Station of The Georgia Board of En-
tomology, which is located here.
The presence of the pest in this
section has not aroused the people as
much as it was calculated to, mainly
because it came too late to do any
material damage to the present crop.
The weevil must work on the bolls
while young and tender, and since
most of the cotton if this section has
matured, no i'll effects of the pest have
been felt this year.
1t is the opinion of the Entomolo-
gists at the Field Station that if the
preesnt cotton crop is harvested early
and stalks an dtrash mobed from the
fields and burned, the weevil will not
90 very serious damage next year, be-
ing probably confined to places where
it has already appeared rather thar
scattered promiscously.
The boil weevil has to go through
three stages to reproduce itself or
make generation" according to tho
Field Station officials. The weeviI it.
self, is about six or eight times the
size of an ordinary corn weevil-near-
ly the size of common field pea. Its
body is rather round and is colored a
dark brown This winged insect flies
to the form in its early state, gener-
ally while in the bloom, and. digging
a hole into the square with its snout.
lays an egg therein and seals over his
incision. The egg quickly forms
worm which thrives on the tender fol-
iage of the young boil. After the
worm has eaten the life from the
young form, it drops off and acts as
nursery for bringing this worm tc
a full grown winged beetle which is
called "the weevil." This process of
generation from beetle to worm, from.
worm to 'pupa" or dormant state,
and from "pupa" to beetle again gem
orally equires from 10 to 20 days.
When the form falls from the stalk
containing the ''pupa" of the weev.
it is found that in very hot weather
the sand will kill it. Wet, cloudy, o.
cool weather is calculated to be most
conductive to the activity and gener.
alton of this pest
The boil weevil has reached Georgia
by wind dispersion" raher than by
regular dispersion" the Field offic-
ials state. The progress of the pest
from beyond Dothan, Ala, to Thomas
county-S0 miles-is abnormal and
double the distance Travelled by the
insect in any previous year of its
history This, together with the fact
that it is only striking in spots. leads
The Entomologists to believe that the
beetles have been scattered through
out this section by the early September
winds, and have not made their wav
here by regular Or natural dispersion.
On account Of this irregular wind
iiSpOl olOu, tue OlnCldlS D6lleVe tnat [
he ravages fthe pest next year will
De confined to certain localities rather
han general. The theory is that the
Few beetles that will begin activity
lext spring will not be able to multiply
sufficient to infect the country as q
whole before July 10. 1t is the opin
on at the Station that the farmers
should plant an early variety Of cotton
lex year.
On being asked how to best combat
he newly arrived pest, the officials
stated that all cotton stalks and debris
hat would serve for winter quarters
'or the beetles should. be gathered and
burned. The fewer beetles that sur
vive the winter, the less serious will
Dc the ravages next year. Again, since