Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1919-08-05
BOIL WEEVIL MUSTBE POISONED
IN A SYSTEMATICAL MANNER

likely " result from IIAC pASoShN
boil weevil panic, according to cot
ton experts J of the United States
Department of Agriculture. Many
cotton GROWERS, they say, believed
that the W}eevil had passed them
by and took no precautionary
measures until their fields were
overrun, and are now trying to get
poison 'andI busting machinery in a
hurry under conditions that abso-
lutely 40 mot warrant poisoning.
The EXPERTS warn growers OF the
difflculties of beginning poisoning
after field has become completely
infested. Poisoning tests have been
successful with complete infeStatlon,
but it is much more difficult mat
ter than merely holding a develop
ing I'M festation in check. 1t re-
quires not only several more APP
plicatiP ns than would have been
necessary if treatment had been
starteh earlier, but much more re-, pol 20
S Si"n. 7 necessary for each "ppl'e@-
Stocks of PoiSons Low
An other point on which a warn
ing fs sounded is the difficulty OF
getting poison in time. The supply
is Very short, dependent upon the
stocks OF a few northern factories,
andf shipments are bound to be
sioN. Still another question which
SHOULD be carefully considered, they
say, is whether or not the cotton
isl actually worth poisoning. There
IFS a great deal of cotton this
year, even in the best producing
sections, that will not justify the
Expense.
( If these limitations are observed,
fthe experts say, the yield OF cot
Iton under boil weevil conditions
Jean be considerably increased by
poisoning with powdered calcium ar
senate. This chemical, as an in
secticide, is decidedly new de-
Velopment, the supply is limited, and
most cotton growers are not Yet
familiar with the necessary com
position Of the chemical, or with
proper methods of applying it.
The cotton experts of the United
States Department of Agriculture
are undertaking to furnish the
necessary information. They say,
however, that their advice must be
taken as general and not as definite
in it's application to all cases. They
recommend that all planters who
plan to poison weevils communicate
with the departments Delta labora-
tory at Tallulah, La, describing
their local conditions. The Iabora-
tory experts will then give them
the most definite advice possible.
1t is impossible to say Just what
gains in production may be expect
ed from Weevil poisoning. All eX-
peflmentS have shown, however that
there is rather a large margin of
proht from the operation in reason
any good land. Poisoning is prob
aply not advisable on land which
would not yield at least half a bale
TO the acre if there were no Wee
wills
Stinping Is Poor ECONOMY
WINE, WeeVil poisoning has been
successful, it has not yet entirely
PASSED the experimental stage. For
Inc present 1t behooves all who
are going to try it to place them
selves on the safe side by DOING. it
as nearly right as can he iudSrs Il
IRON present information. 1t is foI!-
lSi' the experts sly, TO attenlilt ia
scoholn1ze on few pounds of poi
S 1oit Or hqnd dust gun or two. en-
less tne poison is properly applied
IN sufficient quantities, the injury
viii VIII pc about as severe as if poison
ing had not been attemnteG and
me fnorey spent in the opera tion
VII be lost. The department snec-
d%!IStS urge that anyone who de-
20 90 10 poison, make up his mind
NV "a Co. me proper methods or SIM
ny drop the idea altogether,
by Tar the best poison for v,co,,i1
. conlrol IS dry powdered Calcium
ttlLSehate, but the department rroas
9tI,o IL pe bought Oh .speciications
Io [t7l wis wise, the material may be foo
~ ~ arsenic content to pois0n
otle WceElIS successfully, or if nooI,
GolltSin SO much soluble arsenic tbayt
II VIII burn the plants. or # ' e1idt
- N Such mechanical rGtdjtio',
tiIat II cannot be used as a6'Id1Is,t
shouId man ren,, buying calcium arsenate
The l'lq foi require that. it. conform tn
les essS 5ttbo aWfng specifications; MOI
t teS5 imam 40. per cent arsenic n 49,
w tor not more than rs ,beIy cav
81 49, tet-SoIuole arsenic pentoxide. d.
~ not less than 80 nor NOR ~
A0o CUBIC inches per pourd '""n
"A NUMBER of chemical firms A.,
tbn 5e 0t winch will be furnished ' hH5
Tile Delta Laboratory at ,ta py
Ia, "a are manufacturing tbis "i Wan an
RAJ. 1t may be bought also Ibr mlntG-
some local seed houses ana do da o oiay.a
IN plantation supplies. OWinp " tie th s
new neMhG IS Of the preparation, how
tkoI' II is particularly desirable tha+
,r,n composition of the material he
watched, All purchasers are invited
10 SEND samples, immediately mon
1Teelpt' to the Delta Laboratory
LnGy Will be analysed free of charee
ana as quickly as possible. Samples
u ohe-halt pound each should he
taken from several different pack
ages In each shipment and submitted
separately If the material con
forms to the specifications given,
II can not burn the cotton plants.