The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1916-12-14
with a thorough discing instead of

with a thorough discing instead of
breaking"
The death rate during the winter
is very great. Numerous expert
ments show that the ones that sur
vive would not exceed 3 percent as
! an average. This time of year is
when we do the most effective work
against the insect. 1t has been estl-
mated that the possible progeny
from a single pair of weevils during
a season would amount to II, 755, 100.
If this estimate be true, by killing
as many of the grown weevils in the
fall and winter as is possible we de-
crease the number very greatly the
next summer. The weevil hlber-
Mates in late fall and does not
emerge until late the next spring.
They spend the winter in trash piles,
grassy ditch banks, aut houses, and
in fact, anywhere they can get pro-
lection from the cold. 1t would be
we'll to destroy all trash, grass, etc,
either by burning or blowing under.
The cotton stalks and old bolls in the
field could be piled up and burned
| if the field was not going to be
plowed and the stalks turned under
Even the burning of the stalks would
be better and safer against the pest.
We lose much organic matter
by this method, but it would be bet
ter to grow cover crops after the
stalks had been destroyed. The
trash on ditch banks, fence corners,
etc, should be destroyed in SIM
liar manner. By using this method
efficiently we could reduce the num-
Der of weevils emerging in the spring
to about 1.5 per cent which is about
one-half that would survive the win
ter under normal conditions.
The fact that the weevils do not
emerge from Information very fast
in the spring. and neither do they
develop very fast until hot weather
sets in, makes it easier to control
the amount of cotton destroyed.
When the boil weevils comes out in
the spring the cotton is quite large
and the bols are beginning to form.
They feed on the cotton foliage or
leaves and bolls. The females then
lay their eggs inside the cotton
squares. In about three days the
eggs hatch into small grub. Then
this grub begins to feed on the in
side of this square and in about
twelve days this grub stage trans
forms into pupal stage, correspond
ing to the cocoon of butterflies and
moths. They remain in this pupal
stage from three to five days and
then they turn into an adult boil
weevil. In about five days another
generation starts. From all that
has been said it is clear that an early
variety of cotton will have to be
used. Of all the many ways and
methods of combating the boil wee
vii that has been worked out the
growing of an early and rapid fruit
ing variety of cotton is the most
important method to escape the
damage of him. Most of US think
of early cotton as cotton that opens
its bolls early. but from a boil wee.
wills standpoint we use that term to
designate the cotton that is early
and rapid fruiting. The cotton
plant must make faster than the
boil weevil can destroy it. The
hasty opening of the bolls is not an
important factor in the crops escape
from weevil damage. The boil wee
vii comes out very slow until mid
summer, then there is a race be-
tween him and the Gotten. The
breeding of early cotton gives the
plant a good start on him. The to-
tai destruction of the squares occur
late in the season when the weevils
are preatly increased in number.