Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-01-23

Washington. Jan. 23s-That the air
plane, together with some Of the In
struments for the use OF poison gas
and liquid flame, may be successfully
used against insects. which are naD'sl
worst enemies. next TO himself, seeinsl
10 be indicated by experiments which
have been conducted here and there.
The most successful experiment, and
that upon which most OF the high
hopes seen TO he based, was the spray
ing Of grove Of ornamental trees in
Ohio from ah airplanc, which com
pletcIy destroyed the catcrpillars in
Testing the trees at n single flight.
The material used was calcium ar
senate carried in a hopper below the
plane. As the machine passed over the
trees Il heavily dusted with the pois-
onous material a belt OF land 500 feet
wide. IL Is reported that 80 per cent
of the caterpillars were Killed and that
the ground, after the attack. was liter
ally covered with the dead
Now the Department OF Agriculture
Is at work on plan for the use oi
tho airplane in fighting its ancient
enemy the bool weevil. Millions nave
Ealready been spent by the Government
lin its fight on the weevil, and billions
have been lost by reason OF the rae
that the boil weevil has not been de
stroyed. The boil weevil has for gen
erations literally been eating IN
shirts or our backs and tires of oui
cars-for cotton as much as rubbe
lis the basis Of tire construction.
The weevIl Army.
The problem OF fgbting the Dol
weevu would seem 10 be in some re
spects much like that OF checking 81
army. The boil weeyil advances slowl
along an immense front. The diff
Guilty is 10 cover that whole front q
one time, so as TO check the advanc
effectively. Presumably, II the advenc
could be checked. the enemy could D
destroyed, but eradicating the weev
, here and there does no permaner
good II he IS spreading in other place
; Thus the government cannot well pt
a large enough army in the field
check the weevil all along his advencf
! ing front at once by hand sprayini
- The Individual planter does what :
can. but what between the boil weev
= and the fiuctuating price of cotton, !
3 often lacks the funds 10 do the worl
! One planter may spend SIS an acl
in intensive spraying, and clean II
i boil weevil out of his farm. But n
= neighbor may'b a poor tenant farm
o who cannot afford 10 spend even II
d SO, an acre which is necessary II ar
e crop is TO be made at all. So the we
:. vii, checked at one place, advances
!. another.
n The plan sketched out by the go'
} ernment calls for a series Of airplar
q stations reaching clear across the co
= ton belt on the boil weevil front. Whe
: you realize that a single plane fyir
- across this front might destroy Il
weevil completely over a swath g.
feet wide. and when you reflect no
!, much time and how many men.
:. would take TO do the same work
- hand. you get some idea Of the poss
:" billties OF the new method. But 1t HI
it's difficulties, too. The spraying, 10
/" effective, must be done at night wis
;. the dew Is on the plant, it seems. II
y Air Service, however. seems TO
e prepared and willing TO undertake u
$ work under these conditions.
70 Then again, the expense VIII
'e heavy. Calcium arsenate costs abo
10 cents pound, and enormous qua
titles OF It would be cessary for III
lavish method of distribution. The
Is no doubt that the work would {
"a more than pay for itself in the colt
- II would save.