Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1922-12-01
TEXAS COTTON FARMERS FIGHT
BOIL WEEVIL DURING WINTER

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BOLL WEEVIL DURING WINTEi
The Texas Chamber of Com
mere has a committee known Us
The Technical Bo.l Wcevil COM
mittec which is devoting time and
study to DISCRIMINATING the boil
wecyiI in the winter months.
A report of this committee re-
Gently issued deal with the burn
ing of places Of refuge used by the
wccvil during the winter months.
In this report the committee gives
the cotton farmer some excellent
advice, as follows:
As stated in q previous report,
the weevil is forced into inactivity
at a time corresponding roughly to
our killing flosJs, from whlgh c,me
they exist in a semi-Iiving state
and without food, for a period Of
several months, VIXEN they emerge
in spring to renew infestation.
"Fcw of these weevus pass me
winter in this inactive condition
in the open open cotton field, but
migrate, when warned of APP
preaching winter, to well protect
cd shelters, such as trash, lodged
grass along fences, bitches, brush,
and wood land and Spanish moss.
Even in these sheltered places,
only small percentage of those
finding quarters successfully pass
the winter. These so living until
spring, howcvcrSale able ancestors
TO tie number chat later. destroy
the growing crop.
''Fas:ng our recommendations
upon these facts, we would strong
~ urge that, in all communities in
which a fall cleanup has been
practiced, the same determination
continue this winter to head off
future boil weevh damage, but
along different lines. That is, all
grass and trash along fences,
litches, wood and brush land,
wherever it may be safely and
reasonably done, should De burned.
IN most of these situations, the loss
CT organic matter by burning, will
be a minor consideration, though
we would not subscribe to an in
discriminate burning of crop resi-
due. Burning should be done with
the same cooperation and thor
oughness with which the fall clean
up was practiced. In communities
where no fall cleanup was follow
ed, profitable results will follow
from winter burning alone. We feel
that winter burning should not be-
gin previous TO January LIST, but
after that time, may be done with
good results in most sections as
late as Marsh 1sst, and in many sec
tons somewhat later, although de-
lay in burning may result in lost
opportunity because of unexpected
rains,
For the extreme southern part
Of the state, as in the Rio Grande
valley, the temperature is suffi-
cicntly high to keep the cotton
plant growing, and the weevil feed
ing and even breeding to some eX-
tent. here, weevll eonIrol is
largiy matter of continued star
walton, and in addition TO burning
over waste places as a winter yeas
urc, we would urge, where live
cotton has been plowed up, that
care be taken that no sprouts
spring up that reliance on sec
ond growth from this years fields
for next years crop be forcgone,
that ncighbors not having prev
iously cut their cotton, be induc-
ed to do SO at once; that careful
search be made in out-of-the-way
alaces for volunteer cotton plants
nd ether like precautions taken,
nat foc at least month before
any cotton is palnetd, no green
cotton be available anywhere to
support weevil life.
"Wc urge the above measures to
farmers in all sections in which the
weevil is a pest, further stating
rs a reason for tne Importance of
this, that so far as scientific re-
search has discovered there is abso-
lutely no other possible human
means of reducing the numbers of
weevil before they appear in the
cotton next spring"
Since the retirement of Tom