Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1915-01-08

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 a few Of them living
through the season and single fe-
male producing as many as 12,5O0,0OO
progeny in single year, 1t is appa-
rent that they would soon be back
again as busy as ever. The only prac-
tical 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
| hO1I nd ho
which has been done, Doctor Hunter
has stated that Georgia is further ad-
vanced in the matter of protective
measures than any other state which
has been attacked by tho weovii.
\ In his bulletin Secretary Worsham
has pointed out the. various we'll
known methods of control. Climate,
as he shows, has a 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 overfows,
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 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, fertilizlng and working,
Manipulating of fallen squares the
planting 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 a hairy
growth on the stems, which impedes
|
the progress of the weevil.
Rotation of crops is not only Of ben
efit to the soil, but may result in
placing the new cotton crop at point
considerable distance from where
the weovils hibernate. Thus weakened
by winter, many Of them will die be-
fore reaching the cotton and it will
have better opportunity to reach
its growth before being attacked. II
rapid early growth can be secured
; by early planting, the cotton will have
made considerable progress before the
weevils get In motion. The stronger,
faster growth planter can get early
In the spring, the more he can hope
to make. The planting should come
at tho earliest possible ate after the
ground is right. Fertilizing and work
ing mean quick, strong growth. They
often mean the difference between sue
cess and failure. Manipulating of fall
en- squares, which should be burned,
. gets rid of many of the parasites.
Alabama, Georgia and South Caro-
, lima, Doctor Worshsm points out have
q 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