The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1916-07-25
BOIL WEEV|L
NOT AMENACE
IN CARTERCO.
DEMONSTRATION AGENT SAYS
HE FINDS VERY LITTLE AND
ONLY IN ISOLATED DISTRICTS
COTTON LOOKING GOOD.

Carl Russell, county demonstration
agent, who has been making a tour
of the county looking into the report
that boil weevils were ravaging crops
in certain districts, returned to the
city yesterday and when asked fol-
his opinion on the situation, had the
following to say:
"The cotton boil weevil Is not tC
be found to any great extent in Carte!
county but We do find it in some
parts of the county, most especially
in the southwestern part. 1t is true
that the weevil has been found in
other sections of the county, but not
in sufficient numbers to cause any
great damage to the present crop.
The problem of fighting the boil
weevil at this season of the year is
rather difficult, for the key to sue
cessful determination of the weevil
lies in commencing operations in the
early fall. Had all the farmers who
had cotton fields that were affected
with the weeyil last year, piled and
| burned the cotton plants before frost
| they would have but a very few
weevils to contend with at present
| The Texas experiment station re-
ports that this one operation-the
early fall destruction of the cotton
plants-has proven effective in the
past and in trials over large areas
of cotton growing territory has prov
en- successful.
There are only about two steps that
we can take at this season toward
reducing the prospective damage to
this years crop. In the first place,
the cotton should be plowed frequent
ly and thoroughly, maintaining as far
as possible a perfect dust mulch over
the entire field. This should cause
the cotton to put on more squares and
bolls and to outgrow the weevil de-
yelopment, especially if the weather
should continue hot and dry, as it
has for the past few weeks.
In the second place, you can gather
up all the fallen bolls and squares
and place them in tight boxes and bar.
rels, in layers of not more than six
inches deep, the boxes or barrels
should be covered with screen having
Il to 16 mesh to the inch. The fallen
squars contain not only the develop
ing weevil, but large number of para
sites which operate to destroy the |
weeyils. If the weevil infested squares
are gathered and Gagged in the manner
described above, the weevils which |
hatch and develop cannot escape |
through the meshes Of the wire, while |
the parasites will escape through the
wire and will return to the cotton
field to continue their fight against the
next generation of boil weevils.
You are probably aware of the fact
that the gathering Of the weevi in
tested squares themselves and plac
ing them where the weevils in them
cannot escape will materially cut
down the next generation of weevils
in the fields. However, it is not ad-
visabe TO gather the squares and burn
them, for in so doing you destroy
the parasite as well as the weevil;
these parasites are often an important
factor in keeping the boil weevil un-
der control. To gather up the squares
and dump them out somewhere would
he of no advantage as the weevils
ont from them would return
to the field.
1t is quite possible that the wealth
pr will continue hot and dry for some
time this will kill, most of the larvae
in the fallen squares. With no great
er infestation than we have, good,
thorough cultivation will probably be
sufficient to bring the weevil under
control.
On the other hand, if we have even
an occasional shower now and then
the weevil will continue its develop
ment with very little check and
crop under these conditions, unless
you follow the plan of gathering and
caging the infested squares"
Farmers bulletins upon most any
subject may be had from your county
agent. Chamber of Commerce, Ard
more, Oklahoma.