The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1916-11-29
IS BOIL WEEVH. J.
ALREADY M(Rklg
N THIS STATE :!
Feashered Friends Farmers Best
Reliance in Resisting Attack Of
Cotton Pest. 3.

While on official business in Barn
well county received the following
information which, if correct, means
that the boil weevil has reached South
Carolina.
The information was that a Mr.:
Lawton, either Of or formerly Of
Clemson College, found what he said
to be boil weevils on the place Of Will
liam Thompson, near Martins station
in Barnwell county. My informant
said that Mr.. Lawton filed bottle
with weevils and sent the same to
Clemson college. ..al -
The above information is given for
what it is worth. Nevertheless all OF
us know that whether the weevil has
reached South Carolina or not, 1t is
Just matter of a short time before
we will be infested with boil weevils.
/ wish to call to the attention OF the
farmers of South Carolina the fact
that the only natural enemies OF the
boil Weevil are our birds and wish
to quote the following from the 1914
report of the Alabama fish and game
commissioner:
"The cotton boil weevil is proceed
ing on its morch of destruction
through Alabama on its way to the
Atlantic coast. Already the ravages
of this pest in the western section OF
the black belt are reported as being
terrific. A single pair of boil weevils,
multiplying during q single year,
amount tl,o hundreds Of thousands.
A number Of our most observant cot
ton planters who have made careful
investigation and study Of the boil
/ weeyil situation have asserted that
| the birds are its most deadly enemies
and q large number have insisted that
law should be enacted preventing
the killing Of quail, a great boil wee
vii enemy, for at least ten years. No
where in Alabama is the work that
birds do for the farmers appreciated
more than in that section Of our
State now infested with the boil wee
vii. "a
saFhe bureau of biological survey
at Washington has conducted extern
siye Investigations all over the cot
ten belt. where the boil weevl has
appeared. The loss occasioned by the
boil weevil is variously estimated in
different localities at from ten to 5O
per cent, of the cotton crop, and even
more in badly infested areas. There
are many birds that, during the win
ter season, make their principal re-
past upon the boil weevil. About 30
species of birds are known to eat
weeyils in winter, thus preventing the
naturalization Of this pest during the
next season.
. sThe farmers in the past have felt
outraged att persons purloining from
them poultry, small stock or apples
from their orchards; they have, how
ever, made no effort to drive from
their premises the gunners who per-
sist in slaughtering their birds. q
thousand times more valuable than
the loss above described. Convinced
as we are of the inestimable eco
nomic value of mirds as coadJutors to
the making of good crops, it is the
duty. of the State to enforce, and
the duty of every citizen to insist up
on the strict observance of, the stat
utes designed to save from exterml-
nation the useful birds" (See Ala
bama report, 1914
I have recently talked to farmers
in every section Of the State and i
find that the farmers are unanimous
in agreeing to laws being enacted
and thereby have. q sufficient crop of
birds on hand to meet the boil Wee
vii when he reaches Us. ! 5..
am glad to state to the people OF
South Carolina that the bird crop
this year is exceedingly good. It Is
very necessary that certain changes
be made in the game laws. l fully
realize that the members Of the gem.
eral assembly are agreeable to any
change that they believe will be for
the betterment of the State and that
will meet with the approval of the
people and trust that every farmer
who reads this article will make it his
business to talk to the representa-