Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1917-08-14
BY UPSHUR VINCENT
Tin The Houston Post.l

AZ Is another debt which we owe Mexico
According to the report of the United
Mates agricultural agent who visited Mex
leo the past spring the pink pest was
brought to that country in one of the two
sAipmeats Of. Egyptian cotton seed sold
there In 1911. Senior Macropoulos i'm
ported 125 sacks of sucn seed and plant
ed them near Monterey in that year. This
seed was used TO plant $50 acres and the
crop was large. So great n profit was OBJ
tanned from this cotton that the demand
for the seed exceeded the supply. Most
Of the seed went to the Laguna district
and were planted the following year
Q912). In 1913 more seed were purchas-
in the Laguna district. There i little
doubt among the agriculturists of Mexico
that all the pink boil worms now in our
sister republic are to be traced to this
shipment of Egyptian cotton.
However, the same year Senior Herrera
Of San Pedro imported six tons of seed
from Egypt for planting. These seed were
fumigated before being sold and there is
little likelihood any pests were distributed
by them.
Brazil was free from the boil worm un-
til 19l2-one year after Mexico became
first infested. In that year large impor-
tations of Egyptian seed were made and
were followed in 1913 by other ship
ments Of the Egyptian seed. BY 1915 the
pink boil worm was well established in all
parts of Brazil and the following year the
pest caused a loss of so per cent to the
cotton owe Of that country.
II must be remarked that the importa-
ton Of the pest into Brazil was done by
the government in a laudable attempt 10
improve the quality of the cotton grown
in that country. And there l. little doubt
that the quality has been improved. But
the reduction of so per cent in the guam
THY produced and the added cost of that
production far outweigh any fancied gain.
1t took the pink worm Just three years
to grow into a scourage in Brazil. The in
sect was introduced there through accident
and the carelessness Of the governmental
authorities. The United States Govern
ment Journal Of Agricultural Research OF
June 4, this year. says in regard to Bra
I'll: ''This accidental introduction Of the
pink boil worm can never be remedled and
will effect a perpetual diminution of the
resource Of Brazil. BY the application
Of the present scientific knowledge of the
insect and of the crop, cultural methods
can probably be evolved and effective par
asites possibly may be introduced which
altogether will make cotton remain a prof
itabie crop in Brazil, but the pink boil
worm will continue TO cause a very ma
any measure which may be taken against
il.
This calamity could have been pre-
vented continues the Journal, 'by a
properly enforced regulation, such "a we
have in the United States, covering the i'm
portation of cotton seed and requiring the
fumigation of all imported seed"
This assurance that the pest could have
been kept out of Brazil by the regulations
which have been in force in the United
States will bear investigation now; for
there is a strong probability that the pest
is already at work in Texas and that be-
fore the present crop is picked We shall be
hearing of it, depredations.
That is why. the task Of Texas in fight
ing successfully this pest may not be as
easy as ONE of those furthering the mat
ter are inclined to think. And just that
phase Of the matter will give the legisla-
tors pause when they come 10 investigate
it with a view TO enacting legislation to
curb the pest of in the state and to quar-
antine against it if it j. yet a stranger to
our fields.
The boil worm ruined the cotton growing
industry in Brazil in three years. In two
years the same pest DESTROYED the value of
the industry in all of the Laguna district
Of Mexico. Since the seed from that dis
trict were supplied to all other parts Of
Mexico where cotton Is grown il i likely
all Mexican cotton H. infested and il Is hut
a question Of time till every cotton grow
ing section OF that republic will suffer from
depredations of the pink pest.
August Busck, the agent of the depart
ment Of agriculture mentioned above,
found the cotton seed infected from "the
most southern locality, Juan Eugeni, To the
most northern localities. Providencia of
the Bruno Hartzer estates and Victoria of
the Santa Teresa estate, and from Laredo
to San Pedro" Of samples from u es-
tates examined by him all but four were in
fected.
These estates have supplied seed to all
other parts of Mexico which grow cotton.
Of special interest to Texas is the fact that
these seed were planted in the border re-
gions south of Eagle Pass, "Allente," and
south of Brownsville, Texas, "Matamoros.'
These regions are without doubt infested