Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1919-06-29
RECENT EXPERIMENTAL WORK ON POISONING COTTON BOIL WEEVS

were certainly definite and signif-
cant, but it was considered possible
that they might have been due to
some peculiar conditions prevailing
during that season and they could
not be duplicated during another
year. Consequently the experiments
during the season of 1916 were plan
ned largely to check the results secur-
ed during 1915, with me important
changathat provision was made for a
wider range in the periods of appli-
cation. In 1916 the applications in
the different experiments extended
from the first appearance o. the wee
wills III June until about the last of
September. On The whole The reGu't Is
in 1916 were just as definite as were
those of 1915, and the greater IN
portance of the late-seaSon applica-
tions was very plainly demonstrated.
In this connection a detailed descrip-
ton of a few of the tests is OF IN
terest.
Probably the most spectacular test
of the season was the one which
aroused the most interest was con-
Quoted in a cut of abandoned cotton.
Poor drainage and excessive rains
! during May and June had prevented
! cultivation of this cut, and on the
25th of July there were no prospects
whatever Of a crop. The plains were
only about 10 inches high and had
been SO heavily infested by the Wee
wills that there had been no blooms
since June. Thus an opportunity was
afforded to determine what could be
accomplished by poisoning under the
most extreme conditions imaginable
An attempt was made to work the
cotton out about the LIST of August
| and a small plat in the center of the
cut, only six-tenths of an acre in
size, was poisoned. This poisoning
J was continued during the month O
August and surprising results were
/ secured. The weevil infestation de
creased rapidly in the poisoned plat
and the plants soon started blooming
and continued to bloom practically
until frost in spite of the fact that
all surrounding cotton was very heav-
lily infested with weevils and undoubt-
eddy hundreds if not thousands, were
moving into the poisoned cotton dali
ly. When the cotton matured a re-
markable sight was presented The
imprisoned cotton showed practically
no open bolls, while the poisoned plat
to the very last row was practically
white with open cotton. When the
cotton was picked it was found that
the imprisoned plats yielded 43 and
So pounds, while the poisoned plat
yielded about 500 pounds per acre.
This, of course, did not constitute a
good yield Of cotton, but was very
remarkable in view of the opportun-
Nty which this cotton had to produce
2 crop.
This test was particularly interest
ing because of the sev2re conditions
which prevented the utSoisoned cot
because the plants were so small, and
because it was possible to poison the
last row the treated plat effectively
without allowing poison to drift on tc
the adjoining check row. For this
reason the line of demarcation be-
tween the plats was much more pro-
nounced than usually was possible.
! Additional tests during the same
season located in better cotton fire.
quently gave larger gains in pro-
duction per acre, but of course the
| percentage of gain was not so large,
In one case of poisoning during the
month of July gain of about 600
pounds of seed cotton per acre was
secured. Probably the most in
teresting feature of this test
was the fact that there we're
Y days of rain during the month
when the applications were made.
This seemed to indicate that success
full results could not be secured from
poisoning in spite of excessively rainy
weather and tended to allay the fear
that dry weather would be essential
to successful results.
In another case a portion Of a cut
| --' 6oAONhu SUI rounded
ny heavy timber was poisored. This
vas very heavily infested wirh wee
wills, but the poisoned plat yielded
ABOUT 100 pounds seed cotton pet
acre as compared with about 900 for
the check. The treatments in this
case were practically confinel to late
July.
In all about Is experiments were
conducted during 1916 and the total
results showed definitely that it was
possible to poison the weevils profit
abl under certain conditions. Again.
the increased value of late-season ap-
plcations was obvious. for, as a gen
eral rule, the early-season applica-
tons gave only slight gains, with
very doubtful profit whereas the
late-season applications all showed
pronounced profits.
EXPERIMENTS IN 1917.
Experiments at Tallulah, La.
At the beginning Of the season of
1917 If was