The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1922-06-24
BOIL WEEVIL MENACE.
Unusual Abundance of Pest Requires
Change in Methods of Destruction.

The following circular letter on
| by B. R. Coad and G. A. Maloney,
connected with the Delta Laboratory
at Tallulah, Louisiana, and issued by
the United States Department of
Agriculture, Bureau of Entomology,
will no doubt be read with interest
by all those engaged in cotton grow
ing:
For the past few weeks we have
been accommodating records on the
emergence of the boil weevil from
nearly all of the cotton states and are
finding universally, as we forecasted
some months ago, that the number
of over-wintered weevils is far
greater than usual; in fact, in many
districts where accurate counts have
been made it has been found that
we have in the fields now as many
Weevils as are ordinarily present
month later when the first summer
bred brood has started to appear.
With anything like normal weather
conditions this is going. to mean a
tremendously rapid increase in the
weevil damage, and this will have an
important bearing on the program to
be followed by those using calcium
arsenate for the control of the weevil.
In the first place it should be re-
membered that we recommend start
ing poisoning when from ten to fiji
teen per cent of the cotton squares
have been punctured by the weevil.
AS a general rul this condition does
not arise until after the newly bred
Weevlls have started to emerge from
the squares. This year, however, we
have found many fields where there
are already sufficient weevils present
to destroy practically all squares as
fast as formed. In other words, such
cotton will never start blooming I'M
less the Weevils are controlled, and
from the very outset so per cent or
more of the squares are punctured
Under such conditions it is undoubt-
eddy going to be necessary to poison
earlier than ever before. Of course.
there Is no advantage in poisoning
the cotton before the squares form,
as the weevils are continuing to
emerge from Information during this
period and furthermore they are
doing the crop no harm. However.
where such heavy infestation oc-
ours it will be advisable to make
the first application just as soon as
the cotton starts squaring freely, or
about the time the plants average
from to 5 squares each, The regu- |
lar poisoning schedule should be |
started at that time and continued |
along the lines of the usual recon-
mendations for controlling this early |
lnfestation of weevils.
another very important effect of |
this heavy infestation will be felt la
Ter IN the season. When the weevils
Flrst emerge from Information and
reach the cotton field they move
around very little as long as they
IAN ind an ample supply of unpunc-
'ured squares for their use, but Just
as soon as the infestation becomes
'ufilclently heavy to puncture prac-
lcaliy all squares these weevils start
o move IN search of fresh pastures.
n an ordinary season this means that
'ou usually have only the weevils
'red IN your own cotton to contend
WITH until some time from the latter
,art OF July to the last of August
depending on the locality. This year,
However, this movement of migration
i Weevlls will probably start sever
Il weeks earlier than usual. Conse-
Iuently, it will not only be necessary
or you to start poisoning earlier to
ontrol your own infestation, but you
mould also expect that, before you
ave had time to mature the fruit
inch your plants have set during
MS period of protection, you will
egln to experience an immigration
I weevlis from imprisoned cotton.
Il course, this condition would not
rise If every one in a district was
accessibility poisoning his. cotton; but
us will not be the case this year.
nd, just as soon as all squares in