The Marietta journal. (Marietta, Ga.) 1918-1944, 1920-04-09
POISONING The u
BOIL WEEv|L'
Extensive Trials Show That CAL
cium Arsenate Properly APP
piled Is a Profitable Means of
Controlling the Boil Weevil-
Method Perfected by Govern
ment Experts.
c. A. WhittIe Soil Improvement
Committee.

Calcium arsenate, the boil weevil
poison, was applied to more than
100000 acres of cotton in Mississippi,
Louisiana, Arkansas and Texas dur
ing the season of 1919, under the di-
Fection of government experts. The
results obtained lead them to state
that saving of 500 pounds OF seed
cotton to the acre were not an I'M
usual matter, and, in some cases as
much as 1000 pounds were protected
from the weevil.
These savings have been made at
an outlay Of from $500 to $1,000 per
acre which includes cost of materials.
LABOR and reasonable charge for de.
probation of machinery. At the price
al which cotton is now selling this
would indicate that it is well worth
while to poison the boil weevil.
1t Is advised by those who have per
fected this means Of holding the wee
VII in check that the additional cost of
growing cotton should not be assumed
on very low yielding acres, therefore
cotton should be grown on the better
land and be fertilized SO as to pro-
duce maximum yields.
In combating the weevil with poi.
son, 1t is not possible to exterminate
it, but the object is to control it so
that they will not destroy more squares
or the cotton than would naturally
shed. This, 1t has been found, can
be done, thus assuring the farmer
that he can grow full crop under boil
weevil conditions.
When to Begin Poisoning
Poison Is not applied until about
10 to Is per cent of the squares have
been punctured. The time to begin
can be determined by going into the
field in various places, counting a
hundred squares taking all on each
plant, and if ten to fifteen out of
each 100 is destroyed, the spraying
can begin. In large fields it is fire.,
quently found that the weevils be,
sin near the woods. The poisoning
should begin there and need not be
put all over the field until the in.
festation has extended to all parts OF
it.
How Frequent and often to Poison
It has been found that if the spray
ing begins when about 10 per cent of
the squares are punctured and if re.
peated every four days that as a rule
three sprayings are all that is neces.
sary. If weather interferes and the
applications are more than four days
apart, then more of them must be
made.
Amount Required Per Acre and Cost
From five to seven pounds of cal.
cium arsenate are required to thor.
oughly dust an acre. At the present
time the cost of calcium arsenate is
25 cents per pound. With expert.
ence in applying the poison, and a
good machine, five pounds of cal.
cum arsenate can be made to do the
work satisfactorily.
Applied When Dew Is On
Since the weevil is poisoned by
drinking dew which has been poison,
ed, it is necessary to apply the poi.
son while the dew is on the plants.
1t is customary to put it on at night,
using good lights with which to see
how to do the work.
Machines Required
TIplocc 20 oon r. "a
machine, 1t is better not to undertake
to use poison The calcium arsenate
must be forced into the atmosphere
from a machine that will form a dust
cloud. This dust will settle on all
PARTS Of the plant.
Three types of machines are to be
lad, hand gun that is suitable for
twenty-five acres and under, cart
sprays and power sprays for larger
operations. Various types of machines
are tested by Professor Coad and as.
sociates at Tallulah, La, and they will
give information as to which are sat.
isfactory. In this connection, these
government men will also analyze
odluplGS VI dloCHdlc
charge to see if they conform to spec
ifications. 1t is essential that the ma
terial conform exactly to specifica.
lions.
A few simple precautions are all
that is necessary to prevent harm to
farm animals and operators Of the
machines, such as muzzling the horses
and the men washing before eating.
II Calcium Arsenate is not all used
enc season it can be carried over the
next and be just as good for use then.
It does not deteriorate If kept in a
dry place.
Some few farmers have tried cal
| ,ium arsenate and claim to have OBJ
rained no desirable results. A num-
Der of these failures have been inves-
tigated and almost invariably it has
zen found that the reason they failed
IS that they did not follow instructions.
1t is not considered advisable for a