Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1919-10-21

from the application of poisons.
Poison Sprays
This brings us now to a consider
alton of what has been accomplished
in the matter of the use of poison
sprays, the method and means of ap-
plication and the results obtained.
Some years ago representatives of the
L. S. Department of Entomology be-
gan experiments with poisonS in
louisiana. A careful study of the
life of the history of the boil Wee
vii demonstrated that it needs con-
siderable quantities of water and that
it obtained it's supply of water by
drinking the dew on the cotton
plants. 1t then occurred to the men
in charge of these Investigations
that if by some means OF poison
ing the dew could be devised it
might be possible to- destroy large
mum ers of weevils. Afr much con-
sideration and thought it seemed
reasonable to think that this could
best be accomplished by the use of
fine dust spray.
Everyone familiar with the COLI
troll of fungus and insect diseases
attacking fruits and vegetable crops
remembers very well something
-about the situation when spraying
first came into vogue. At that time
liquid sprays were used exclusively.
Naturally they were difficult and
bulky to handle and had to be pre-
pared with great exactitude in order
to be of service. Large tanks and
heavy machinery were required in
their application. This made the
operation expensive. The applica-
ton of the wet sprays was very
trying to workmen. After a while
1t occurred to some investigators that
possibly a dust spray could be used
on fruit trees and vegetables. Every
boy who was brought up in the
country will remember that dust and
SCOT were used to keep insects and
slugs off of various types of garden
crops before even poison sprays
were known. Adults will also re-
member that in fighting the Irish
potato bug Paris green was mixed
with low grade flour or with slack
ed lime. The devising of machinery
for the application OF dust sprays
was rather tedious and took some
time. Finally, however, practical
machinery was evolved and it was
demonstrated that dust sprays could
be used with satisfaction.
From this demonstration was
evolved the thought that dust spray
would prove efficacious against the
weevil, 4 good many materials have
been tried and great series of eX-
periments made by patient investiga
tors with the result that a 40 per
cent strength calcium arsenate has
been decided upon as offering prob
ably one of the best available anG
satisfactory dust sprays to use in
controlling weevil depradations. Nat
orally this matter was or such wide
spread interest to our farmers since
the Weevil has caused q loss this
year of twenty million dollars, that
the State College of Agriculture took
up this idea as soon as it became
known. Demonstrations have been
made throughout Georgia this year.
Some of these were not successful
due to the fact that it rained almost
every day as most individuals know,
throughout the growing season of
the cotton crop. Probably worse
weather conditions for spraying and
more favorable weather conditions
for the Weevil have never occurred Iii
Georgia. At the same time, number
of the tests made were successful.
All of them evidence profit from
the use of dust sprays for the con-
troll of this predaceous insect. Some
Of these tests evidence a profit Of
only two or three dollars per acre:
others as high as eighteen to twenty
dollars. The best results obtained
were secured on the farm Of Mr.. W.
c.. Crowley at Brooklet in Bullocl
county. These tests were carried
forward through the agency of Mr..
F. c. Ward, specialist in charge Of
this work, and County Agent J. G.,
Liddell. The results obtained are
summarized and set below for the
| information of our readers.
Demonstrations. Unsatisfactory
| Several demonstrations in boil
weeVil poisoning were arranged for
early in the present year by the Ex-
tension Division Of the Georgia
State College of Agriculture, BUTT
was impossible to conduct them with
any satisfaction on account of the
frequency of raias. The poison was
washed off the plants within a, few
hours after application in almost
every instance. Several demonstra-
tons were abandoned after being
started because weather conditions
were unsatisfactory, but some of
those carried to completion gave
very good results.
| One of the most successful was the
one carried on with County Agent J =.
G. Liddell and Mr.. w. c. Cromley. at
| Brooklet, in Bulloch county. The
| record of that demonstration is as
! follows:
Pounds of seed cotton per acre:
| Not