Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1915-01-15

Fig. 1-BIoom Damaged by Boil WEI
by Boil WeevII. Fig. 3
The Mexican boil weevil at work Is
one Of the most Industrious, persistent
and prolific little animals of which we
have any record.
State Entomologist E. Lee Worsham
Of the Georgia department points out
that each female will lay approximate
ly three hundred eggs which come to
maturity within fifteen to twenty-five
days, according to the season, and
there are about four generations each
year so that each female may give
rise to some 12,500.0O0 progeny. One
female, therefore. in a cotton field at
the beginning of the season. could
come pretty near destroying the crop
in that field before picking time.
The female deposits her eggs In.
side the square or boil, preferably the
former, and for this reason they are
not often seen by the farmer. During
the early season the weevil does not
attack the mature bolls, but when food
is scarce in late season, hollis are bad
" infected, and many larvae or imma-
ture weevils are found inside Of them.
The egg matches within q few days
into the larva or worm stage, follow
ing which the adult weevil develops
inside the square or boil and gnaws Its
way out. In the early part OF the
season this process requires about
twenty-five days, but later on fifteen
to seventeen days. are sufficient. AS
a rule the adult weevils do not live
very long, but the United States bu'
reau of entomology reports few spec
linens that lived a little more than
eleven months.
The weevil Is known to feed on q
few other plants besides cotton. one
in particular being a species Of Thur
IBERIA found growing wild in Arizona
and which is perhaps more like the
cotton plant than any other.
The young weevils are very soft and
of a light yellow color. They remain
; in the pupal shell for about two days
and when the body is sufficiently hard
ened they go out in search Of food
The adult is a brownish beetle will
a snout or slightly curved beak. Tit
: smallest ones are about one-tenth o
an inch long, while the largest one
are a quarter of an incn long. the siz
depending largely on the food sur
ply.
The weevil spends the winter In tn
.. adult stage. At the approach Of col
weather the adults desert the cotto
!. plants and go into Information in see
houses, in wooded areas, under trasf
!, weeds, grass, along terraces. fence
!, and roads, and particularly In SPANS
|, moss wherever it grows. AS soon
the temperature gets as low as Sc d.
grees they begin to hunt cover. Dul
e ing the winter months they are kille
!, from various causes, principally the 81
= we're cold weather. A temperature
IL degrees Fahrenheit Is fatal to then
and rarely more than seven per cer
of them emerge alive under the MOI
favorable conditions. Sometimes
is nearer one per cent.
In the spring those weevils whic
have escaped the cold weather emerf
|, and begin to hunt cotton. Some
them come out as early as Februar
a Others do not get out until along abo'
the first of July. 1t takes temper
- ture around sixty-five to seventy-h'
~ degrees to bring them out In larl
: numbers. When the old weevils con
!. out of their winter quarters they [
!. straight to the cotton plant. II the
a are no squares on It, they attack Il
h plant itself, puncturing the stem. al
unless the plant is a very hardy Of
It is likely to be killed. The wee'
feeds on the tender growing shoe
=. and new leaves until the first sQuar
a. appear. When young square
=. punctured by q weevil it flares op
n. and soon falls to the ground; for II
., reason there IL an absence Of bloc
"a where weevils are abundant.
The boil weevil travels by means
he its wings and can easily fly twenty-f
as to fifty miles at a singh flight. T
in only reason for travelling Is search
i'd food. When food IL scarce 1t will ira,
~ q greater distance. In 1912 the wee
be advanced through Alabama distan
be of about one hundred miles q
N camped for the winter within fi
an miles of the Georgia line. Under the
conditions 1t was naturally expe
ed that it would get into Georl
in 1914.
10 There is no greater authority
OF America on the boil weevil than w.
60 Hunter, agent of the United Stat
an bureau of entomology In charge
"a crop insect investigation in the Sou
30 Mr.. Hunter began studying the b
IN weevil in, 1902 and has perhaps
a. more intimate knowledge Of this q
as other cotton insects than any OIL
man in the world. Through his en-
le getic and masterful direction OF
investigation, the cultural system
cotton production devised to meet
attack of the boil weevil has been
ay veloped and put into application
oh
lth
zee Good Cats Are Useful.
nd Good cats around the barn are
in. splendid addition for they will 81