The Leader, enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ga.) 1915-1921, 1918-06-21
NOW IS THE TIME TO MAKE
THE SPRING FIGHT ON
BOIL WEEVIL

In many places the farmers are not
giving attention to the fight against
the boil weevil that they should.
Right now is the critical time in the
spring fight Old wintered-over Wee
wills are coming out in numbers as far
north as Macon, despite the dry wea-
Their conditions. Should it become
rainy, greater numbers would emerge.
At this season the fight consists in
making systematic search at least
once a week for the old weevils and
punctured squares. Fortunately most
of the cotton has already started
forming squares and it is not neces-
sary to give much time to looking
for the old weevils until an infested
spot has been located They are hard
to find on the inside OF the square.
The square almost as soon as it is
punctured flares open and is fairly
easily seen while OH the stalk. Three
or four days after the square has been
punctured it falls to the ground, and
this season of the year, if allowed to
STAY there, in a week or ten days a
Young weevil fully grown is ready to
emerge.
1t is this young weevil that the
farmer needs to fear If two or three
generations of these are allowed to
develop then the fight becomes almost
hopeless So now is the time to get
busy to prevent this condition.
How to Get Busy
Near a strip of woods, house, or
other such place nearest where cotton
was grown last year is where the in
tested spots are most likely to be
found. A close look out should be
kept on these sections of the cotton
field As soon as it is found that wee
wills are showing up the easiest and
cheapest way to keep them under
control is to set aside this job for the
first Monday morning and take all
hands and the best hands and run
over the field, row by row watching
on the ground for fallen squares and
on the stalk for hared squares. When
ever an infested spot is found. search
closely for the old weevil and be
sure to get all punctured or fallen
SQUARES. If this be done thoroughly
it is entirely possible to prevent the
spread of the weevils until the nil
gratory period,
Some may be inclined to use ma
chimes or different kinds of solutions.
The U. S. Department of Agriculture
has had most of these instruments
of warfare tried out but has never
vet seen fit to recommend the use of
any. All we have to say is that II
YOU use the machine or solution, be
sure not to fail to go Monday morn
ing for the next three or four weeks
and get every square off the ground
and burn them. We know this will
grow cotton in spite of the boil wee
vii. Children may help if properly
supervised, and remember, that the
most dangerous square to leave IS
the deadest, most insignificant look
ing one. The weevil has emerged
from this square before the following
week. If it rains be sure not to stop
the fight. 1t will pay to get little
muddy Keep UP the fight until the
first of August at least.
Cotton is Wartime Necessity
This is no time to be Stacker in
any form. This fight should be waged
vigorously for cotton is needed not
only as a cash crop for clothing, but
is essential in the manufacture of mu-
nitions of war. Besides, every one
SAYS food will win the war; Cotton
furnishes food as we'll as fiber. The
seed from bale of cotton, it is claim
ed. will furnish as much nourishment
as is given by the States average
acre Weld of corn. Now is the time
to get busy then to save this import
ant crop from the invasion of its
worst enemy. For further information
call on J. T. Pittman, County Agent,
OGoa Cb,,,har of Commerce