The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1922-07-20

battling to the manufacturers when
Mr.. Coad first issued it in 1918, as it
is an arbitrary standard not depend
ent on either true specific gravity or
sizing by screen test.
And as the grinding of the material
is necessarily done in an air separa-
tion mill, the product when first made
is sufficiently aerated to cause an al
most liquid consistency. Packed in a
barrel or drum and shipped, however,
the air gradually seeps out and bulk
test for density when it arrives at the
point of consumption bears no rela
ton to it's original flufiness.
Government experimenters have
now devised a simple testing aparat-
us which forces a given quantity of
air into a fixed weight of calcium ar
senate in such a way as to indicate
the actual fufiness or smoke-like
quality as desired for most effective
application to the plant. AS all in
terested in either the production,
sale, inspection or use of the product
can use the same method of making
this density test, this difficulty OF
standardizing the manufacture is
largely overcome.
The inspection Of the product in
the field has been very rigid and con-
sidered harsh by some of the produc-
ers Of inferior product but in view
of the Importance of protecting the
planter against a defective material,
it is difficult to present any valid ar
gument against careful testing by the
officials.
In considering the progress already
made in boil weevil control with cal
cium arsenate it should be under
stood that experiments are still in
progress by government officials and
private individuals which may indi-
cate that some slight changes are
desirable both in the compound itself
and in methods of application.
One question which has been very
puzzling on account of conflicting re-
suits in the test fields is the determin-
alton of the exact limitations of the
density or 1ufiness which give the
most effective control.
The addition to the poison of some
other substance like molasses, to
make it adhere more firmly to the
cotton plant has been tried, along
with other mixtures too numerous to
name. Many kinds of special dusting.
apparatus of both hand and mechani-
cal operation are now offered to the
planter by a great number of farm
implement makers. These range
from small inexpensive busters oper-
ated by hand to elaborate double
team machines which cover several
rows at one time.
The new Infant Industries of
sizeable operations have thus been
established, the manufacture of the
poison itself and the production of
the machines to apply it. =
What the future will develop on
this phase of the boil weevil problem
is foolhardy to predict, but it is evil
dent that the pest has come to stay
and can only be controlled, not ex-
terminated. Like the Colorado pota-
to bug, from an Insignificant begin
ming in one locality, it has followed
it's food crop through one state after
another, until it now thrives almost
everywhere cotton is grown within
the United States.
To consider the historical record of
the boil weevil in the United States,
it is necessary to go back a good
many years: the complete infestation
of the southern cotton states was
only accomplished in the last year
or so but the invasion over the Mex
lean border is recorded in the vicinity
of Brownsville, Texas, in the year
1892.
The earliest authentic record of the
insect itself was in 1S43 when 3D.
heman first described the "Anthono-
mus grandis." Destruction of the
cotton crop in Coahuila, Mexico and
later in Cuba, antedated by many
years it's gradual approach to the Rio
Grande. After it once crossed into
Texas, the map showing the annual
limits of infestation in the south,
somewhat resembled those of France
and Belgium during the war indicat-
ing the limit of invasion of the Ger
man army. But with this difference,
that the German line gradually ad-
vanced and then receded while the
boil weevil infestation has made
steady progress taking in county al
-. o,,,+1, ond ctato after state until