Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1918-02-22
WEEv|L WAS NOT
KILLED BY COLD
FARMERS ARE ADVISED NOT TO
BELIEVE THAT RECENT FREEZ-
ES HAVE HELPED THEM ANY
WITH THIS PEST.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 22.-''It is ex-
tremely unwise for cotton farmers to
assume that the freezes of the last
few weeks have .exterminated the cot
ton boil weevil," the department of
agriculture announces in answer to
many inquiries from the South.
The department said it was to be
hoped that planters would not be led
into increasing their cotton acreage
at the expense of raising foodstuffs
and thus not only fail in their patri-
otto duty, but at the same time suffer
financial loss from boil weevils. The
necessity for the South to produce its
own food this year was stressed.
During the past winter the tenn
peratures have been lower than at any
time since 1897 the statement con-
tinued, and there can hardly be any
doubt that this extreme cold has re-
Guced the numbers of weevils in many
sections of the South. 1t is too much
to expect, however, that the temper
atures have been uniformly cold
enough to absolutely terminate the
weeVil from large ares. The records
of the department of agriculture in
dictate that there is at least from l to
per cent survival of the weevil in
those sections which have been thor
oughly studied as against a normal
Of 7.6 per cent survival This per-
centage of surviving weevils is SUI
ficient to restock the cotton fields Of
the South before the end of the grow
ing season.
There is always a possibility that
there may be some specially sheltered
spots even in the more northerly in
tested regions where some weevils
will be able to survive. The instinct
O: the Weevil leads it to shelter itself
under the bark of trees or in thick
hanging moss upon the trees under
the matching of roofs and in straw
stacks, and buildings.
The experience of 25 years with
the boil weevil in this country has
shown that one or two weevils sur
viving in a field CO. easily produce
enough offspring to destroy all but
the earliest portion of the crop"
No reliable prediction can be made
o.: the basis of what happens during
the winter" the departments an
nouncement said, and told how heavy
rains in the early summer might
prove favorable to breeding of the
pest or tropical storms carry them in
to sections where the cold had great
ly depleted their numbers.
I'm the opinion of the department
OF agriculture" said the statement, lit
would be very unfortunate if the pre-
vailing impression concerning the boil
weevil should increase the acreage in
cotton at the expense of food crops.
At the present time what is most ur
gently needed throughout the South is
an Increased production of food and
feed crops. There is every indication
that the normal acreage in cotton,
with proper cultivation, will give a
supply of the staple sufficient
purposes 1t is claerly ma of
patriotism as we'll as sound judgment
for the planters to increase the acre
age in food crops. The planter who
increases his cotton acreage cannot
be assured that his crop will not sui
fer greatly from the boil weevil at
tack, and will be utilizing his land in
a way which does not best serve the
necessities of the country.
Director General McAdoo has al
ready issued warning that transpor-
tation difficulties in 1918 may make it
difficult, if not impossible, to supply
food and feed promptly to communi-
ties that neglect to provide their own
necessities. To say the least, the drain
on transportation is so heavy that any
exceptional requirements for hauling
food and feed to the South will be an
actual embarrassment to the govern
ment in the prosecution of the war
THE department of agriculture is
roh asking the South to contribute
ma .erially to the nations food and
feed supply, but is asking the South
only to feed itself so that it may not
become a burden upon the food pro-
ducing sections of the country which
must strain their energies to the ut
most in order to feed the armies and
maintain the civ=i population behind
them"
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