Durant weekly news. (Durant, Choctaw Nation, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 190?-1944, 1920-03-19

The pink hollworm of cotton. prcvi-
ously supposed to exist In this country
only in Texas has been discovered at "a
number Of places in Cameron Parish.
La. where it is believed to have been
for at least two years. 1t has been
found also in calcasicu Parish, but ="
recently that dcfint" information as
to distribution IL not available. IN"
old infested area around Trinity Bay
has also been somewhat extended.
Lots of cotton seed ranging from ] 10
20 cars have been shipped from Gamer
on Parish to Alexandria. Broussard.
Shreveport. Bunkie, and Monroe La,
San Antonio. Fort Worth. Houston. san
Marcos and New Brunfcls Texas. Scv-
eral of these points have no oil mills
and the seed was probably used for
planting. Thus there is the possihil-
ity that the pink bollworm has been
scattered to all of these sections and
possibility to others not yet dctcrmin-
I'd.
This brings about a serious situation
for the cotton industry Of the rait"d
States, says the United States Depart
ment of Agriculture. Unless the radi-
cal but necessary steps are promptly
taken by the Federal Department Of
Agriculture, the pink bollworm viii
certainly get out of hand and the work
OF determination already carried out in
-
asked to provide additional funds AM
to make them Immediately available.
Conference 10 Plan Work.
a conference was held ~ New -
leans on March :. which was attended
by representatives of the cotton states
and of the Department of Agriculture.
The conference was called hy Cove nor
Pleasant, of Louisiana. in cooperation
with Governor-clect Parker who is
president Of the American Cotton AS
sociation. The purpose was to com
slider the whole situation as II has now
developed and to secure the taking OF
necessary steps by Texas. Louisiana
Oklahoma and any other states con-
cerned to meet the emergency.
The newly discovered infestati"r- In
Cameron and calcasieu rarish"s. .
and Orange County. Texas, are alors
the lower course of the Sabine lnvcr
near the Gulf of Mexico, n addition
there is some r"infcstatio1 II the old
Trinity Bay area in Texas, hut the
work of rcclcaning that area has al
most been completed. The work, how
ever. has consumed practically an n"
money that the United States Depart
ment of Agriculture had avai'ah'. for
pink bollworm eradication. Ecinf"s-
tation around Trinity Bay WAS dur
TO Il modification of the pol:ry origi-
nally agreed upon by the department
and State authorities of allowing no
cotton to he grown in infested areas
for "a period of two or three years
A revision of tn" state pink hollwor'n
act permitted cotton to lac grown. un-
der restrictions, in the Trinity Bay area
during 1919. The rcinfcstation which
has resulted from such growth of cot
ton is scattered pretty we'll over the
old district but the actual points of
infestation are very few as compared
with 1917, and the amount OF infrs-
tation in the fields where IN" insect
has been found Is insignificant as to
numbers. The results clearly indicate.
say the specialists of the department.
the possibility of determination by the
method of establishing noncotton zones
and the cleaning up of all volunteer
cotton II continued for Il sufficient
period. II was deviation from this
method that brought the reinfestation
in Texas, and the department will in
sist that II he strictly followed in the
tremendously greater task that now
confronts the country. This is the
only means of control" says the Pc
partment, that gives any hope of
ultimately eradicating this most de-