The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1922-11-15
METHOD FOR CONTROL
OF THE BOIL WEEVIL
(By K C. Moore, County Agent)


The University of Florida Agricul-
tural Experiment Station has just is
sued a preliminary report upon an
improved method of controlling the
boil weevil.1 The method was work
ed out by Mr. Geo. d. Smith, who for
over fifteen years has been studying
the boil weevil with the hopes of find
ing practical means of its control.
Although the experiments have not
been as extensive as the scientists In,
tend to make them, and although, un-
der their ordinary rules of thorough
ly testing out each finding Of this
kind before putting it before the
public they would ordinarily run these
experiments over several years, they
feel that the plan has worked so well
as that the cotton farmers should get
the information at as early date as
possible. The control work this sea-
son was done under field conditions
by negro tenants on their own crops.
The expense wa svery little and the
net profits beyond the most sanguine
hopes of the Investigators.
| DR.. Newell of the Experiment Sta
tion says: "This is one of the most
significant accomplishments of our
state agricultural institution"
The following statement occurs in
the Agricultural News Service of the
Extension Division of the college and
/ Experiment Station:
Improved Method of Controlling The
/ Boil Weevil
An improved, efficient and inexpen-
sive method for the control of the
boil weevil having been announced by
the State Plant Board of Florida and
the University of Florida Experiment
Station, many persons viii naturally
want to be cited concrete instances
where the method was efficient and
inexpensive. When this statement
was made to Plant Commissioners and
Director Newell, he replied:
"All right, here is one. Represen-
tative experiments were conducted on
a 3000-acre plantation. This planta-
ton belongs to S. A. Smith and is
about five miles from Madison. It is
typical land, capable of producing
under normal conditions about 400
pounds of seed cotton to the acre. But
it was somewhat run down last year
because of the boil weevil and produc-
ed only fifty pounds to the acre.
'This year Mr.. Smith did not fur
nish his tenants with any fertilizer,
but did supply them with seed. The
plants of last years crop were not de-
stroyed and the plantation is sur
rounded and dotted with swamps and
woods, all of which insured an abun-
dance of weevils this year. Therefore
there was little reason to expect
much of cotton crop on this planta-
ton this. year, while the reasons
against good crop were plentiful
l. However, Mr.. Smith and his ten
ants co-operated and the improved
method was administered under the
direction of Geo. D. Smith (the plant
board specialist who conducted the
Experiments described in bulletins on
this subject issued recently by the
Plant Board and Experiment Station,
Gainesville). In spite of adverse con-
ditions a fairly good crop of cotton
was produced. In fact, the yield was
440 pounds to the acre, even greater
than the owner said it should be un-
der normal conditions.
] 'The average profit upon the treat
ed fields, which comprise 95.1 acres,
was S22.43 to the acre. In other
words, without lifting his hands Mr..
Smiths cotton crop was increased by
s2257 81. And this increase cost him
only s127.37 (for poison and other
expenses of applying the treatment).
He thus had q clear net profit on that
part of his cotton acreage in which
; the method was applied f951 acres)
of S2130.30.'