The New York herald., 1921-09-30
Boil Weevils Spread Fast.
The Pest Of Cotton Fields Helped by
Farmers Neglect,

To THE NEW York HERALD: Your
correspondent Robert Fl. Hutchinson has
accurately described the difference be-
tween the cotton boil weevil and the
boil worm in correcting several errone-
Gus statements in previous letters.
The boil weevil belongs to the beetle
family. having horny. shell-like anterior
wings serving as a cover for the men,
branous posterior pair when not flying.
This insect is Matched and fully de-
veloped in the cotton squares early In
the season and later in both squares
and bolls; the smaller weevils emerge
from the small. undevelopcd squares, the
larger ones from the nearly matured
bolls where the food supply is practi-
cally unlimited.
The enormous injury to cotton by the
boil weevil is principally caused by
puncturing the squares. These squares
and the young bolls contain the imma-
ture pollen AMI moist pulp furnishing
food and drink for the adult weevil,
shelter and natural incubator for the
eggs and food for the larve.
After the deposit OF the egg In the
puncture the edge OF the small cavity
is completely sealed by the female
weevil. while the feeding puncture is
always left open. Both cause the
square to flare, that Is. the bracts which
normally close tightly around the bud
spread and after several days the square
falls. However, this does not interfere
with the Matching of the egg or de-
stroy tho food supply for the larva.
During the spring and early summer
weevis fly the least. which is one of the
many reasons that the suggestion OF one
OF your correspondents to use open flame
lamps to kill the corn wcevirs cousin
Is impractical 1t is almost impossible
to discover them flying before cotton
bolls are well open. at which time the
weevil has reached the restless, mlgra-
tory stage. caused principally by lack
OF food.
In seeking new feeding grounds they
ny both In the daylight and at night,
searching for cotton maturing later In
the season. hence the annual curve OF
progress in a northeasterly direction Of
/ from Mexico to the eastern part OF
NORM Carolina
From the time II leaves its winter
quarters the weevil works industriously
and exclusively on cotton until late in
the fall, when temperatures below Sc
degrees Fahrenheit drive the adult
weevil into Information.
After cotton has been harvested the
planter should promptly have the stalks
cut and burned In order to kill large
numbers of weevls which otherwise
would enjoy a winter OF suspended ac-
tivity after their last or Information
flight.
Not many farmers will do this. al
though II has been proved effective and
Is recommended by experienced ento-
mologists who have discovered that
many Of the weevils are fertilized In the
fall and consequently a single survv-
ing female in the spring Is capable OF
beginning or renewing an infestation.
Statistics printed In bulletin No. ia,
issued by tho Bureau OF Entomology,
United States Department OF Agricul-
ture. show that the number OF progeny
that may spring from one pair of hiber-
mated boil weevils. based on four gen.
eratons in one season from June 30 to
November A. Is 3.os9,52o.
LAWRENCE A. RAMAGE.
SAVANNAH, Ca, September IS.