The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-07-28
POISON MAY CONTROL
THE PESTS OF COTTON
Boil wecvils Disappear Before Arseni-
calls Administered By Federal
Entomologists.
POISON DRINKING WATER.
Treated Areas Yield $50 to 1000
Pounds More of Seed Cotton Per
Acrc-Furthcr Tests Necessary to
Perfect the Methods.

Control OF the cotton boil weevil
seems to be in fair way of accom-
plishment by the work of an entomol-
ogist OF the United States department
of agriculture.
When that insidious pest, which BIAS
been taking heavy toll of the cotton
crop and annually extending his reeo-
ing grounds. stops his work of pune
turing cotton squares and bolls, ana
ambles forth to quench his thirst
from a dewdrop or raindrop on the
cotton plant, he Is likely in the future
to imb ibe q poisoned draught whlch
will be as effective as a KNOCKOUT
drop, What this 6neans to the cottoh
growers of the south and the indus-
try as a. whole can hardly De estl-
mated In dollars and cents, but the
curtailment of the weevifs activities,
even in small part, Is so important as
to make the discovery by the depart
ment Of agriculture of the fact that
arsenicais NAV be used as powder
spray In controlling this pest one OF
it's most striking and valuable contr-
buttons to the agricultural industry.
Poison Weevirs Drinking Water.
r. r. Coad. OF the bureau of ento-
mology. while working on some bi-
illogical Investigations of the Don
weeyil found that although the
weevils are not hard drinkers, they
drink regularly from the rain or dew
collected In droplets on the leaves of
the cotton plants. Having been on
tha trail of the cotton boil weevil
for some time. his logical inquiry was
WHY not poison the water whteh the
weevils drink" Since 1913. Mr.. Coaa,
with a corps of entomologists win
headquarters at Tafiulah La, mas
been experimenting with various POI,
sons applied in different ways, All
with the purpose of administering
dose which would be fatal to tnese
Insects which have invaded such
large mart of the cotton producing
territory of the south.
These entomoiogists have not IN
ished their work. but they nave
proved by series OF experiments tha'
boil weeyils can be poisoned undef
neld conditions and that poisoning is
a practicable method OF controlling
the pests. The usual check piats
have been used I'm these experiments
and the results have shown that
Yields OF from ESQ to 1000 pounds
more OF seed cotton per acre can be
raised on SPRAYED areas than on the
uusprayed piats The experiments
have been conducted under many
conditions and for several years, so
as TO give the method a complete
trial before making the results
known to the. growers The detaits
are now being published IN a depart
ment bulletin entitled, Recent G&-
perimentaI Work in Poisoning cotton
Boil Weevils"
Details Worked Out
When the experiments were started
again last year IL was recognises
that the former work had merely
demonstrated the possibility Of pos
oning weevila successfully and that
many phases of the economical nSe
of the poison still remained TO ne
worked out A very elaborate s+2r1es
for that season was planned ana
about 15 tests were started in the
neighborhood of Tallulah, each one
Intended to determine some particular
notnt of Importance. The carrier
studies had shown that Under certain
conditions poisoning was profitaoie,
hut II was known that any change IN
these conditions might easily result N
q much lower gain If not an sctaai
loss and it was essential to deter .
mine thoroughly the possibilities be.
fore the information would be OF
value to the public. pecuilar
combination of seasonal conditions,
however. resulted IN an almost cora =
plete absence OF weevii damage In all
Of the cotton in which tests had been
planned The experiments, therefore.
could not he conducted under the de-
sired conditions of heavy wceVl IN
fes,ation. Nevertheless, the results
confirmed those of the preceding two
years. but still left many gaps in the
Information essential 10 outlining a
general procedure for weeyil poison :
AS ha lnfRStREf