The weekly soliphone. (Paragould, Greene County, Ark.) 1907-1918, 1917-01-25
the thee boards attend in full.
THOS. J. BENTLEY,
County Agent.
NEW COTTON PEST.

"The discovery of the Egyptian
pink bollworm in Mexico, which
was announced by the U. S. departs
ment of agriculture in November
brings the cotton interests of Ar
kansas face to face with the biggest
problem that has ever confronted
them. The only solution to the
problem is the passage of the bill
entitled. The Arkansas Plant Act
which bill will be introduced by
Lee Cazort," said Geo. G.. Becker,
entomologist of the University of
Arkansas.
The pink bollworm is by far
the worst enemy of cotton wherever
this pest occurs. The young worms
cause the shedding Of considerable
number of hollis and squares and in
cases of heavy infestation, fifty per
Icent of the crop may be lost in this
way. Damage does not stop at this,
however, because of the fact that
worms very frequently affect just
one lock of the boil. On account of
living in the seeds of the cotton
moreover, where the pink bOllworm
occurs, the percentage of oil from
the seed is frequently very greatly
decreased.
Every southern state takes q
chance of introducing this pest un-
less it is protected by the proper
| Legislation. In 1912. Arizona intro
duced this insect in some Egyptian
cotton seed, but h#e provided
with efficient legislation to meet
the emergency, this state was able
to cope with the situation and
promptly eradicate the pest before
it gained foothold. If this pest
were to be introduced into Arkan-
sas today, the state would have
neither the means nor the authors
lty to undertake to eradicate the
pest.
| The establishment of this pest In
Mexico is destined to give this
country much concern in the fu-
| ture. Four hundred or more car
| loads of cotton seed have been
| traced from Mexico into Texas, and
| it should be stated here that the
bollworm was first introduced into
Mexico through seed. Although the
government will quarantine cotton
seed from infested areas, it should
be remembered that the adult OF this
Insect is winged, and we should all
so recall the fact that the Mexican
| boil weevil came to us originally
| from Mexico.
| FRUIT INTERESTS NEED PRO-
lection.
l. Arkansas has sas3dled a serious
lpest on its fruit interests because
| it needed such legislation years ago.
AS result of failing to protect
these interests, our fruit growers
are today losing thousands Of fruit
trees on account of the ravages OF
the San Jose scale,an insect intr0-
duced on nursery stock. To cap
the climax, the state of Oklahoma,
last year, put quarantine on Ar
kansas fruit because it was found
to be infested with this insect
which, through the neglect OF the
state, was enabled to gain FOOT
hold.
| The passage of the Arkansas plant
act is imperative for the protection
lof our cotton interests and, mOre-
over, our fruit growers need 1t not
only to protect them from the fnr
PRODUCTION of further pests, but to
enable them to cope with the quar-
tine which has been imposed upon
them by states which offer them
their most lucrative markets. For
the legislature to fail to pass thia
legislation with reasonable appr0-
priation will be the most penny
wise and pound foolish" policy
which it can follow, and no amount
iof appropriations in future years
will be able to eradicate some of the
pests which might be introduced
should they get in through lack o.
proper protection. of the states agri-
Icultural interests