The Union daily times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1918-current, 1922-07-12
Boil Weevil Situation Restated

Clemson College, July 1O.-At the
recent annual meeting of the Clemson
board of trustees a very interesting
conference was held with the colleg,
officials in regard to the boil weevi
u situation.
1t may be recalled that in 1915 the
board of trustee sent a commission
to study the situation in Louisiana
and Alabama, and as an outcome OF
this investigation a bulletin was pub
hshed in 1916, which with slight re.
visions has been printed and dis
trlbuted off and on ever since. The
trustees have always had a very in.
tense interest in the boil weevil stu.
alton and wanted the latest view helt
by the college experts.
Despite the fact that both the gov.
ernment and the college have beer
sending out information through the
press, county agents, specialists, bull.
letins and circulars almost every day
Tor several months, the statements
made by the experts to the board of
trustees last Tuesday are of much
public interest. In substance these
college experts made the following
statements:
We believe that the value of early
poisoning is greatly exaggerated
Such is the testimony by the best ex-
perimentors in Alabama, Louisiana
Mississippi, Texas and Oklahoma
which states have been longest infest-
ed with the weevil. Reports are now
being received from farmers from all
sections of the state to the effect that
the weevil has disappeared from
many of their fields. Some of these
fields have been poisoned with calcium
arsenate dust, some with sweetened
poison, and others not poisoned at all.
This emphasizes our oft repeated
statements that early poisoning is not
material factor in boil weevil con-
troll.
The early weevils are but the skir-
mishers of the hordes of over-win-
tered weevils that continue to come
from winter-quarters from March to
July. They keep coming out even af-
ter the squares have begun to form
Most Of these old weevils die a nat
ural death before square formation
begins. Therefore, little is gained
and often much lost through neglect
of other farm operations on account
OF efforts to destroy these early wee.
wills. These early weevils can be killed
by applications of any kind of ars nj :.
cal poison, whether in liquod or dust
form. This was demonstrated as far
back as 1902.
The weevils want squares to- feed
on and lay eggs in. There being no
squares early in the season, they con-
fine themselves to the buds of the
young cotton plant and are practically
surface feeders, something like the
potato beetle or the cabbage worm,
only less so. Little injury is done to
the cotton plant from this feeding on
the bud
If all the over-wintered weevils
would come out at the same time, as
chickens come off the roost in the
morning, then we could no doubt de-
stroy them with profit by early poi
soning. But when we kill hundreds of
weevils with one kind of poison or
another in early spring, thousands are
still in their winter quarters ready
to come out later. By no manner Of
poisoning or other control measures
yet discovered can we kill all the Wee
wills that are out, and the survivors
together with those coming out after
the squares are formed, discontinue
feeding on the cotton buds and begin
to puncture and eat the inside of the
squares and lay their eggs there.
. From this time on the only effective
poisoning method known is through
the use of calcium arsenate properly
applied in dust form.
General Control Methods Again
Urged.
The farmer must remember that it
is at this point that the battle for the
crop really begins. 1t is now that
the following control methods repeat
edly published, should be diligently
and thoroughly followed.
1. AS the bulk of the cotton crop
in South Carolina is made by share.
croppers, the women and children
should be used to pick squares. This
should be so supervised that it is done
with great thoroughness, otherwise it
has no value whatever. Begin pick
ing the squares, as soon as any pune
tured squares fall, and pick every IN
tested square on the ground and on
the plants ever five days.
2. Practice frequent shallow culti-
walton in order to prevent grass and
weeds and to keep the plant in a
healthy and vigorous condition. This
is important because it prolongs the
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