The Monroe journal., 1919-12-02
SKETCHES


Oxen, now seldom seen in this sec
lion. have one attribute which many .
human beings lack. That is theif :
devotion TO their yoke-fellOw. which
is said 10 be- so strong that on the .
death of one of the pair the other !
will gradually pine away from grief.
Mr.. Dunk Therrell. who used TO carry
mail in this County years ago, heard
many farmers in those DAYS relate
such instances OF this JOnathan-Dayid
like devotion among oxen. and he he
lieyes il TO be true. He knows this
tender affection To exist between
other animals. particularly dogs. Al
this time he has a dog. separated
from its mate six weeks ago after
over years of constant companion
ship, which he believes is wastins
away from sheer lonliness,
French peasants. who continue tc
use the on for farm work. believe thls
affection between two yoke-iellows
exists. aud George Sands, in one oil
her French nov els. SAYS people VINO
believe the love OF the CN for his yoke
fellow is a fable should go 20 the cor
ner of the stable and see one of these
poor beasts. thin and wasted, restless
" flashing his lean Hanks with MS
tail. violently breathing with mingled
terror aud dis0ain on the food oiie:-
ed him. his ewes always turned toward
the door. scratching with his hoof The
empty place at his side, smiling The
vokes and chains which his yoke-fei-
low used To wear and necessarily call
ing him with melancholy lowings. The
ox-heard will say: There is pair oil
oxen zone. this one will work no
more. for his brother is dead. we
ought to fatten him for the market,
but he will not eat, and soon VIII
star,e himself to death"
F Novus Homo brings the surprising
news that boil weevils were found on
the farm of Mr.. c. NJ. Given, IN Jack
son township. last August. Since its
appearance in the county was not re
ported. and therefore no precauti0i'
ary measures taken, the probability
is that that immediate section Will be
infested with them next year. ms
news creates added interest IN me
famous cotton pest. and probaotl
many readers of The Journal will hnd
the following history, gathered trom
the Encyclopedia Britannica. interest
ing:
The cotton boil wecvil. a sma''
grey weevil often called the Mexican
boil weevil, is the most serious pes
of cotton in the United States, where
the damage in 1907 was estimated AZ
about S25,000,000. II steadily m
creased in destructiveness during the
The preceding eight years. Atten-
lion was drawn TO il in 1862, when L
caused the abandonment Of cotton
cultivation about Monclova in Next
co. About 1898 1t appeared III leA-
as. and then rapidly spread. II Is en-
silv TRANSPORTED from place TO place
in seed cotton. and for this reason TIC
Egyptian government IN 1894 prohlD-
tied the Importation of American cot
ION seed Not only is the pest carried
] from place TO place, but is also MI
I CRATES. and in 1917 il crossed from
! Louisiana, where il first appeared II
\ 1905, to Mississippi Thai the insect
\ is likely to prove adaptable is per-
4 hans indicated by the fact that ~
I 1906 it made northward advance OF
\ about 60 miles in a season with nc
y obvious special features favorlng the
q nest. Its eastern progress was alsc
4 rapid. About 100000 acres mac
j been invaded up TO 1906.
q THE adult weevils puncture me
4 Young fiower-buds and deposit eggs
y and as the grubs from the egg deNel'
q Oh. the buds drop. They also lay
n eggs later in the year in the youhs
n hollis. These do not drop, but as the
n grubs develop the cotton is ruineC
n and the bolls usually become dlscol
d ored and crack, their contents Delhs
n rendered useless.
n mo certain remedy is known lo'
u the destruction on commercial scai'
n of the boil weevil. but every efort ha'
ii heen made in the United States y
q check the advance of the insect II
n ascertain and encourage its hatura
n enemies. and to propagate races o
3 cotton which resist its attacks. Spe
cial interest attaches to the inVesliga
ton made by Mr.. o. +. COOK OF wv
IL. S. Department of Agriculture II
Guatemala. The Indians IN part o
Guatemala raise cotton, although TN
boil weevil is abundant Examination
showed that although the weevlI al
tackled the young buds these did no
drop off, but that special growth o o
tissue inside the bud frequently XIII
ed the grub. Also. inside the youhl
hollis which had been pierced SIM
lar poliferation or growth of the us
sue was set up. which developed ant
killed the pests. Probably by uneoh
scious selection of surviving plant
through long ages, has been evolve
in Guatemala, and experiments nav
been made to develop weeyil- resistcn
races in the United States. Mr.. Coo
also found that the boil weeyil wa
attacked. killed and eaten by an an
like creature. 'kelep. Attempts nav
been made to introduce this into IN
infested area in Texas; but owing !
the winter proving fatal to the kele