The independent. [volume] (Elizabeth City, N.C.) 1908-1936, 1922-11-03
BOIL WEEVIL NVADES
PASQUOTANK COUNTY
Dread Scourge of the Cotton Fields May DrIy
Our Farmers to More Hogs, Cattle
and Poultry

The dread scourge of til
cottonfcld, the cotton boz
wccvil, has invaded this couta
ty and its presence on severa
farms threatens the futurt
crop of cotton farmers OF Pas
quotank, says Grover wv
Falls, County Agriculturd
Agent.
In company with J. A. Mabee, 4
Raleigh, who is State Etomologi5 \
for North Carolina, Mr.. Falls visis
ed several farms in this count
Monday in search Of the weeTl NJ
Falls had for sometime been of IN
opinion that the insect had gotta
among the cotton farms here, eve
since it had been found in Chow4
and Perquimans. b1-
The weevil was first found on tt
farm Of John 0rerton, a colore
farmer on Body Road, about fY
miles out Of Elizabeth City. Se@
cral insects, no larger than the hat
of q grain Of pop corn were collec5
cd and brought to town. On ~
farm Of Percy Pritchard, who Gya
on the Desert road near Elizabe4
City, they also found the insects.
The advice Of Mr.. Falls is for u
farmers of this county to cut theE
cotton acreage, in order to combf
the weeyil. The next best step, 4
says, is to plant winter cover cropt
The boil weeyil does not thrive &
well in growing vegetation. Pastuf
age planted in oats and rye is wha
is needed.
All old cotton stalks should b
plowed under before frost, says NJ
Fails. Dead and dry vegetation LEI
on the ground form n good harbd
for the boil wecril to live in thu
the winter. Live and growing crop
on which dew forms overnight is
menace to the weeyiI, it is. best fro
zen out where the dew is heayiest9
The menace to the cotton farm9
makes it more imperative than eve
that he turn his attention TO othG
things, Mr.. Falls says; and thos
other things which will best serY
the people Of Pasquotank County al.
hogs, cattle and poultry. There
more money to be made from thes
than from most farm crops and les
risk TO be incurred in their cultiys'
tion.
When the boil weevil first invade
the cotton belt vest of the Missis
sippi river, it was the opinion q
agricultural experts that il would No
come cast Of that section, or rathe
that it would not cross water. Bu,
it crossed the Mississippi, trayeiins
at the rate Of about 80 miles yea
and finally spread over the countr.
to the south Of Albemarle Sound
Still, It was the opinion Of farmef
that it would not. cross the sound I
But the weevil is persisted
creature. 1t few across Albemarl
sound, and struck in the farms q
Chowan County, and finally in Pei.
quimans. And its discovery in Pei
quimans made farmers in this coui
ty sit up and take notice. We VIII
are somewhat behind the country y
sharing the scourge Of the 4cotiol
field, are somewhat better OF, for ",
have the experience Of other farm
ers to draw from. y
Pasquotank's discovery of Oh
weeyil may be a good thing FOR th
county after all. The farmers ar
beginning to take interest in bette
livestock ard poultry. And with til
establishment of packing plants, it j
not going TO be q hard job to tax
! to the raising Of livestock.
The county agricultural agent ha
been urging the raising Of winte
cover crops for some time. Recer
demonstrations on farms near thi
city has shown that pasturage erop
arc profitable. The big interestin
feature Of these crops is the elimT
alton Of much risk attendant upo
many other crops that the farmer
have heretofore depended on.
farmer usually knows what he vi
get from crop Of pasturage.