The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-11-14
ANNOUNCES PLAN OF CONTROL.
New Method Said to Be Per- feet Security Against
 Boil WeeviI

Gainesville, Fla. November 1s.- Removal of all squares tbrackets sub tending the flowers) from cotton plants at a time when virtually all cotton boil weevils are out of their winter quarters in Florida about June B. and destruction of the squares, followed immediately by a thorough application of calcium ar senate O. lead arsenate with a suit able dusting machine is the method developed for control of the weevil announced Saturday night by Dr. Wilmon Newell, plant commissioner for the state plant board and direc- tor of the University of Florida ex- pertinent station, 1t was disclosed to- day by the official bulletin on the subject.
 Dr. Newell termed the development a solar plexus blow" to the weevil and stated that fields which had un- dergone the treatment had produced virtually as much cotton as before it's advent. George D. Smith, associate entomo1ogist, working under the auspices of the state plant board, Is given credit for evolving the new method of combating the pest, which has cost the southern planters hun dreds of millions of dollars.
 WeGvtla Poisoned
 The long known fact that the wee- VII can be poisoned effectively dur ing the period preceding the appear ance of the first squares played the leading part in MT. Smiths work. Ap- plication of poison at this time kills virtually all weevils in the field, but weevils emerging later deposit their eggs in the early squares. starting the seasons infestation. After the squares develop the adult weevil is indifferent to poison and because the eggs and larvae are within the squares the poison has no effect upon them.
 By stripping the first squares eggs and larvae depsited by the over wintered weevils are removed, says the bulletin. This disposes of the weevils progeny, but considerable number of adult weevils remain These. deprived of the squares in which to hide and upon which to feed, turn upon the terminal or growing bud of the plant for food. With the squares out of the way by stripping, 1t is simple to literally fill the terminal bud with poison from A dust gun.
 At this time the wintered weevils have only few more days to live and their instinct to survive urges them to feed literally. Appli cation of poison to the terminal buds at this stage has been followed in all the experiments by the destruction of practically every weevil that escaped in the stripping operation.
 With the wintered weevils and their progeny disposed of no ad- ditional weevils of any consequence will come to the field before the an- nual migration. which in Florida usually takes place about August 1. Cotton bolls, which are more than half grown when the summer migra tion occurs succeeded in maturing and opening because the first migatory weeyils arriving In the fields late in July turn the squares and do not attack the green bolls to an extent. In this respect the treated field. on arrival of the first migratory weevils, is in a condition comparable to that of any ordinary cotton field earlier in the season--while weevils are destroying the squares the bolls largely escape their attack.
 The cost of treatment was placed by pr. Newell at from si.5o to s2 an acre. including labor.