The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1916-12-13
BOIL WEEYIL NEAR
) THE STATE BORDER
VIII Invade aLOwer Section Next Sum-
MSr. SNyS Prof COnrodf NJ NlomSn,

VIII invade aLOWer Section Next Sum.
msr, Says Prof. COnradi OF Clemson.
Clemson college, Dec. S.-That the
lower section of South Carolina will
De invaded by the boil weevil next sum
ner, although not in sufficient numbers
TO 40 any great amount of damage, is
'ne statement made by Prof. A. T..
Conradl. State cntomologist. The wee
VII is now within fifteen miles of the
state line. and Barnwcll will probably
Ce. the first county entered by the pest
although it is conceded that the
"eevil will reach the State next year,
II is not thought that any great damage
VIII result before the season of 1919
or possibly 1920. That the Piedmont
section will not-be reached for some
tWo or three years after the lower part
or the state. was also the opinion of
Prof. Conradi.
Ihe progress Of the weevil since it
lirst entered the United States in 1892
has never been successfully checked.
me only conditions that govern the
weevil, stated Prof. Conradi, are tenn
perature and moisture. Therefore, al
though the weevil will undoubtedly en-
ter all sections of the State and must
De contended with, it IS pointed out
mat the rainfall in that section of the
State above Columbia is such that the
weevill will never be the serious fac
tor it Is elsewhere. In the months of
June, July and August the amount OF
rainiall determines the success or fail
urc or the crop. In an ordinary dry
year the farmers Of the Piedmont can
make cotton despite the weevil. In
other words, only about once in 3S
years will the conditions prevail in
the Piedmont SO as to render the cul-
ovation of cotton Improbable. Below
Columbia. the chances are that It will
ne as severe as has been the case in
the lowands Of Louisiana. Intelligent
farming and diversification, however,
Will reduce the damage TO n minimum
as has been proved elsewhere.
Another thing to guard against just
at this time is the fact that there arc
about 800 species of beetles in South
carolina. any Of which the farmer
might readily call the boil weevil. AL
though 1t is barely possible that an oc
casional wcevil might be many miles
IN advance Of the main horde, it is al
together unlikely, therefore, in the
words of Prof. Conradi ANY one
thinking they have found wcevil i'm
the State should remember that the
chances are about | ,i99 to that il is
some other insect one that does alb
solutely no damage to cotton" Any
one finding an insect that is suspected
OF being a Mexican boil weevil should
ilrst send It to the State cntomologist
before announcing that a weevil has
been found. II this rule is adhered to
much that might cause a depression
in the price OF lands would be avoid
cd
The greatest hirdrance to fighting
the wecyii in The Piedmont viii be The
SraSs-covcrcd terraces and similar
places where it can hibernate This
VIII have to be overcome if the Hg!,
is to be 4 successful one. Every con
dition except this one iayors Ia,
farmers OF the Piedmont. II is sa.
that in other places where tcmpcra-
this part OF the State only abou
lhrec per cent Of the full grown in
Sccts survive through the winter
Where conditions are similar to
that In the lower part of the State the
number is about ten times as great.
The farmers in many sections of the
west have learned to fight the pest by
destroying all harborng places and
are now making cotton in spite of
the presence Of the weevil
In conclusion, Prof. Conradi urges
that no one become panic-stricken
If every one will hold their conf
dence, adapt themselves to the new
conditions and keep up trade and
credit the outlook need not be dark
one. In many sections of Louisiana
the greatest damage was done not by
the boil weevil but by the people
themselves, becoming absolutely de-
moralized. In many instances no eff
fort was made to cultivate the in