The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1918-07-13

treated, and thus the migration of
wee'lis from the imprisoned cotton
prevented. 1t is clear, however, that
the gains secured on the small areas
were exceedingly conservative.
y large scale treatment was made
IN August last year on section OF an
Arkansas plantation. The cotton
crew on land OF lair quality and wu,,
not planted until late May. Weather
conditions had retarded the plants
sreatly and they did not start setting
the crop until the latter part OF July.
ABOUT the middle of August a fair
crop OF bolis had developed, but the
plants were large and leary, and the
weevils had multiplied so rapidly that
very heavy infestation OF wecvils
was present. Blooming had practi-
caiIy ceased and the weevils had
cleaned up the squares so thoroughly
that they were attacking the bolls in
great numbers. and the bolls. even to
me largest present, were being riddled
ty puncturcs. 1t seemed proba bic
that on one section no bolls would he
ielt 10 open. 1t was, Of course, too
late to attempt to set a new crop by
poisoning, but an effort was made TO
save the bo!ls then present on the
plants. Treatments were given from
August 23 to about September 1 on
several hundred acres. Upon count.
ING the squares ii was found that
about Sc per cent Of the squares in
the cotton to he poisoned had been
This cotton was
given n single poisoning, and about
ten days later it was found that tha
weevil infestation in these same cuts
or areas had been reduced so that ONLY
sc per cent Of the squares were punc-
'ured. During the same period the in
'esta'!on in the adjoining imprisoned
cotton had been Increasing steadily.
Practically all of the poisoned cuts
''N" "iooHiHiE d5dlIi AT lnlS time
ana number of them reached what
- ordinarily termed the flower gar
len" stage of blooming, five TO seven
blooms per plant on a single day be
ing not at all rare.
In starting The treatment Of th..
iarge area it had been anticipated that
several applications would be neces-
'ary to produce the desired result. but
The effect Of n sing,e application was
so pronounced that it seemed unnec-
e2s1ry To repeat X. The wecvils had
ocen so reduced that only sc per cert
OF the squares were punctured, ana
although thousands of weevils wer.
being bred out from the SQUARES on
'he ground or were coming i'm from
other plantations every day, it was
still obvious that the weevils would
greatly reduce their attacks on the
bolls until they had caught up with
the squares then present, and that
his period would be long enough I,
allow the bolls to become sullcienuS
hardened to avoid weevil damage.
Owing to the necessity for poisoninc
considerable areas in this case and t.
the inability to leave imprisoned plats
rs checks, ii was. OF course, impos
sible to determine the exact beneG.
derived from the treatment. Roug,
comparisons, however based on yields
)f surrounding cuts made it obviou.
hat considerable gain had been sc
urcd and that posoninE had been =
'cry profitable operation.
In the carly experiments the tr.
plumbic form of lead arsenate wa
used but was not sufficiently effective
nd the di-hylrogen form Of lea.
rscnate proved TO be Letter poison
or the work. Later additional test.
demonstrated that n high grade o
calcium arsenate was still more effec-
tive and has the 81 eat advantage O
being cheaper than lead arsenate.
number of tests were made with va
rious mixtures and dilutions of arsen
icals. This work, however, is still
he experimental stage and, accord!n
10 Mr.. Coad, it is difficult to prophes,
just what the results will be. 1t is
obvious, however, according to the
scientist, that either di-hydrogen
lead arsenate powder containing not
less than 32 per cent of arsenic pc
tOxid or q calcium arsenatc cOntainina
at least AZ per cent of arsenic pen
toxid will produce an effective con
troll If handled properly. 1t also j.
expected that it will be possible to di
lutte these considerably with some
cheap carrier such as lime, though
this has not been definitely dctermin
cd. The experiments have rhOw'