Bryan daily eagle and pilot. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1909-1918, 1915-10-22
MORE DISCUSSION
. Of THE BOIL WEEV|L
Farm Demonstration Favors Flowing
Under Stalks. Grass,
Weevils and All.

I notice In your issue OF yesterday
n short article from J. Webb Howell
In which he makes some very pointed
as well as sensible observations ON
the boil weevil situation. also
notice In the Bryan Cotton Oil and
Fertilizer Company's nd In The
Weekly Eagle that Mr. Howell gives
some very interesting as well as In
structive figures that have been taken
from an article you previously pub
lished from the able pen OF y. b. Pad
dock. State entomologist. wherein he
shows very conclusively II the boil
weevils are not destroyed In the early
fall very large percentage OF them
win 60 through the winter unframed
and win be ready to begin their work
OF destruction ON the very young cot
ton early next season.
Mr.. Howell's appeal 10 the farmers
is timely as well as patriotic. I am
here going 10 repeat an assertion that
I have made In two former articles
that you have published from me-
one during last May and the other
In early September. This assertion
II as follows: III there Is not some
thing done this fall to destroy the
boll weevil. and there Il plenty of
rain the last two weeks Of next May
and the first two weeks In June. and
there remain n reasonable season
throughout the early summer. there
win not be any cotton 10 amount 10
anything In this country next year"
We would not have made any cotton
scarcely at all this year had Il not
been that Il did not rain one drop
from May 3 to June rs and the
weather was unusually hot rs well ~
dry. A sure ~ you live. farmers.
the dry weather II not always going
to come just In the nick Of time 10
save your cotton. <sfl
I WELL" says one. how viii we de-
stroy them now? II will not do any
good to burn the stalks since the
leaves have on been eaten on by the
leaf worm" This Il true. and ] would
not recommend burning the stalks BE-
cause ! am sure this process would
only reach comparatively few Of the
veevil. Nv plan would b to cut the
stalks with q good revolving stalk
cutter. heavily Weighted 20 II win alb
Solutely cut the stalks TO pieces. Then
get q plow that will 70 In the eround
and turn the stalks. trash. grass. wee
wills and all under at least six inches
deep. This win not only destroy the
boil weevil. or . great majority Of
them. but Il will increase the pro-
'ductivity Of your soil At least one
third for next years crop and reduce
the labor to make your next years
crop. Some will say that II II too dry
and hard. but the ground generally n
not 30 hard a. II usually IL this time
Of the year. owing to the heavy rains
that fell In August see quite a
number Of pIows running and doing
good work. II you will get the right
kind Of . pillow and team able 10 pull
II. there will be no question 40 to
whether or not II will bury Mr.. Boil
Weevil where he win never Be able
10 dig out by next spring nor next
year. Cotton AZ best crowds the av-
ersge farmer from one years. end to
the other to break even on II, and
when he Il handicapped both by i'm
poverished soil and the ravnges OF In
sects II n indeed an uphill business.
A. W. BUCHANAN.
County Demonstration Agent