The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1922-11-18
new METHOD
TO CONTROL
BOIL WEEVlL
Enton1olo logist. Of Flor
ida State P / a n t
Board Claims to Be
Able to Obtain 90
Per Cent of Crop

Per Cent Of Crop
| Gainesville, Fla, Nov. 13 (By the
| Associated Press) s).-Bulletins were
being sent out today by the state
plant board of Florida detailing
at length the improved method OF
controlling the boll weeviP' as
evolved by DR.. George D. Smith
assistant entomologist Of the board
and announced Saturday night by
DR.. 5Wilmon Newell. director.
While expressing confidence that
Florida growers Of upland cotton
| by following the new method are
assured Of at least 80 per cent. of a
normal crop, DR.. Newell points out
at the outset that DR.. Smiths ex-
periments were made under Flor
I ida conditions, and the method
evolved is adapted to this state. but
| there seems to be no reason ION
theoretical grounds at least why
the method can not successfully
be adapted to all sections Of the
cotton belt.
The substance of. DR.. Smiths
plan is to clear the field Of Wee
vii infestation early in June and
then give the staple free growth
until August when the annua
migration OF the weevil sets in
| The staple has grown, however, to
such an extent by this time, that
harm from the weevil then is in
consequential.
In this state, the bulletin points
out, the crop is usually made" by
August Is.
DR.. Smith recognized in the be
ginning of his experiments that the
boil weevil could be effectively
poisoned before it reached the
squares Or flower bracts of the
plant. His investigation therefore
had to do with ridding the plant
Of the last Of the over-wintering
weevils which appear later and de-
post their eggs on the squares.
His plan evolved meets his
obstacle by the simple process of
removing the early squares, and
then thoroughly disinfecting the
boil itself with poison. His expert
ments disproved the belief that re-
noval Of the early squares would
lower the Gotten yield. ).
IN this state, the bulletin con,
tinues, by removing the squares
early in June and cleansing the
bon, the plant then has almost as
long a period in which to set rru1r
as it enjoyed in normal season
prior to the. coming Of the weevil
AT first thought" the bulletin
continues, ''it may appear that: a
considerable amount Of cotton
would be destroyed or lost by re-
moving of the first few squares say
an average of about two large
squares to the plant throughout
tie field. It has been demonstrate
ed that the cotton plant normally
sheds about so per cent. of its fruit
lOuIllS luc SioNAdS SC1SoI. I11SiS-
fore loss of two squares to the
plant, on the average, should not
affect the yield
Noting that the planter has at
taehed great importance to these
first squares, considering them the
substance of his early cotton crop,
the bulletin saws:
Removal Of the early squares in
our experiments was followed by a
remarkable reaction on the part
of the plant itself. In all cases,
removal of the squares was follow
ed by a rapid increase in the
height of the plants and this was
closely followed by a profuse de-
veiopment Of new squares. So
pronounced has been the accelera-
ton of stimulation Of fruiting, that
it seems highly probable that even
with no weevils. present removal
of all squares early in June would
actually result in increasing the
yield Of cotton"
w. 20 Oa solo