The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1921-12-22
BURN STALKS TO
CLEAR FIELDS OF
BOIL WEEVL NOW
Methods and Advantages Are
Set Down in New Pamphlet
From Department.

The great destruction wrought by
the cotton boil weevil this year has
made the problem of its control a vi.
tai one to practically all cotton plant.
ers.
'erywhere the question can be
heard, what can be done TO avoid
mis- loss next year?" For many years
prior to the development of poison
control measures the United States
department. Of agriculture advocated
Tall destruction OF cotton plants by
burning or plowing under, as the most
important step in controlling the boil
Feevil 1t Is still good practice as an
auxiliary to control by poison.
The proper time for the destruction
81 the plant in the fall is whenever
the weevils have become so numerous
That there is no prospect that more
ootton will be made. 1t Is an easy
matter for any planter to determine
this point by an examination OF a
few plants in the field.
If Farmer Should Use Care
Whenever it is found that all. or
nearly all Of the squares and some of
the bols are being punctured, there
is no hope for producing any more
cotton the farmer should then wait un-
til the bolls already set on the plants
have opened and destruction should
then take place Immediately.
BY all means, best farmers advo-
cate destruction should take place
before frost, but destruction after frost
Though not nearly so affective as ear
ly destruction, should always be prac.
ticed when it has been impossible to
remove plants previously.
No sprout cotton should be left to
furnish breeding places for the weevils
Four Steps to Follow
NJ There are four principal reasons
EFhy the process of fall destruction
Should not be practiced universally by
planters in the infected regions
First, fall destruction prevents alb.
solutely the development of a multi
tude Of weevils which would other
wise become adult within few weeKs
ef the time Of Information, the de.
struction of immature stages of weev.
Us in infested squares and bolls is
accomplished, while the further growth
OF squares which may become infested
iater ~ prevented.
b This stops materially the develop
ment of weevils which would normally
hibernate successfully, and by de-
creasing the number of weevils which
will emerge in the spring, the chance
Tor q successful crop the following
season Is very greatly increased
Second, proper manipulation Of
the stalks will bring about the de.
etruction of great majority Of the
wcevlls that are already adult.
Iva Third ii has been shown conclusively
Mat the bulk of the weevils which
| survlve the winter are those which
Teach maturity late in the season. It
Us evident that the weeviis that pass
Vie winter and attack the crop OF the
following season are among those de-
| veloped latest in the fall. and which
jn Consequence OF that fact have not
exhausted their vitality by >depositing
eggs for any considerable length of
pine during the hibernating period
teduce many fold the number OF wee.
bis in the fields that would other.
Use emerge in the spring to damage
he crop.
IA Clearing Of Field
~ Fourth, clearing of the field in the
1all makes it possible to practice fall
blowing which is not only the proper
procedure in any system of cotton
faising, but also facilitates early
planting OF the crop the following
sprlng The ground becomes clean by
this practice so that there are but few
places left for the weevil. and various
climatic conditions still further re.
duces the number Of the survivors.
The early planting of the crop next
spring and the use OF an early ma.
turing variety are also strongly urged
by the most successful cotton planters.
BY getting the cotton crop started
early, It is often possible to get 1t well
on the way to maturity before the
few weevils surviving the winter have
time TO propagate to the point where
they become destructive.