The Carlisle independent., 1920-04-29
EFFECT OF PINK BOIL WORM
 ON COTTON INDUSTRY
The Pink Boil Worm Once Establish ed More Formidable Than Boil
 Weeyil


 The cotton industry of the United States is today threatened with menace which bids fair to be much more formidable than the cotton boil weevi.
 This is the presence of the pink boil worm which now exists in southeast ern Texas and southwestern Louisi- ana. This insect was first known in India about 50 years ago. It was la ter introduced into Egypt and from there has been distributed to nearly every important cotton growing coun- try in the world through the importa tion of Egyptian cotton seed. It was introduced into Mexico and from there to the United States through the importation oe cotton seed The first ones were discovered in this country in 1a17 in the vicinity of Hearne. Texas.
 The pink 5oH worm, aS the name in dicates. is small pink Iarva or worm, the parent of which is small gray moth. The adult or moth deposits it's snow white eggs on the outside of cot ton bolls and squares. These eggs hatch into small glassy white larvae or worms which bore through the out CT covering and feed on the interior of the boll The insect feeds on both the lint and the seeds destroying the lint and decreasing the oil content of the seed when not entirely destroy ing them. When it is nearly full grown 1t assumes the characteristic pink color, hence the common name pink boil worm. The pink boil worm spends the winter in the worm or lar val stage by following out and web ping together two or three seeds. It is in this stage that it is chiefly transported from one place to anoth- CT. The moth, or adult, is able to fly some distance, and it is also spread by this. means.
 Tn the Hawaiian Islands where it has become well established it has almost entirely destroyed the cotton industry. The loss in Egypt is esti- mated at from 10 to 20 per cent ear ly in the season, to 40 to 50 per cent later in the season. It now en- tirely covers the Laguna region of Mexico which is the chief cotton growing region of that country and covers an area of about 12,000 square miles. Official estimates of men sta toned there by the United States De- partment of Agriculture place the av- craze annual loss at minimum of 20 per cent of the entire crop. The climate of the Laguna region of Mex ico is quite similar to that of our Southern states, and we could hardly expect the loss to be less here.
 If $50 were counted as an average price per bale the annual loss would be S375,000,000. To this we must also add the loss to the cotton seed. At one half ton of cotton seed per bale we would have an additional loss of 100000 tons of cotton seed. If we estimate the price of cotton seed at S60 per ton, we must add an addition al loss of SS4,000,000. This would mean an annual loss to the cotton in dustry of about 100000. While we give these fgureS as only an eStl- mate, any one can judge for himself what the permanent establishment of this insect in the United States will mean to the cotton industry. It is safe to say that t will mean reduc- tion in the natural resources of this country which will be irreparable.
 The other countries which grow cotton do not have the boil weevil. When the boil weevil has finished its injury the pink boil worm adds its destruction.
 Under such condition competition with other cotton-growing countries will be difficult, With such facts staring us in the face it is now time for the cotton growers of the South to recognize them and unite to eradi- cate this pest.