Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1922-06-27
DEATH TO WEEVILS
Gets Fine Results From Calcium
ArSenaRe and hOlaSSeS.
CtKER pTELLS OF HIS EXPERIENCES
Boil Weevils Cannot Withstand Appli-
cations of the Poiscn-Ten Cents
Each Offered for Insects, But None
Could Be Found.

The following open letter has bcen
issued by David r. Coker. well known
Harts9iIie man, telling of his expert
ehces in using mixture Of calcium
arsenate and molasses in the hght
against the weevil.
During the past few days many far
mers in this section have made tests
with various mixtures of calcium ar
senate and molasses and in every in
stance with which l am familiar they
are delighted with the results. On our
own plantations we have experimented
with several mixtures and are now US
ing q mixture OF one half gallon warm
water in which is thoroughly mixed
one pound of calcium arsenate and
added to one-haf gallon of black mo-
lasses. We have found q convenient
way to apply is TO use quart bottle
which is filled three -fourths full of the
mixture Cut a trench out of one side
of the cork, reverse the bottle and ap-
ply to the bud of the cotton by shaking
or plunging motion, dropping two or
three Iua'ops in the bud Of the plant.
This method requires less of the mix
ture to the acre and keeps it thorough
ly agitated all the time. We find that
none sof the mixture should be carried
over night as 1T is hard to mix the next
morning. No more should be mixed
than can be used during the day and it
should be thoroughly stirred before
pouring into the bottles Cor buckets if
the mop is used).
Mr.. Randolph Gillespie applied the
molasses mixture to three different
fields on the 18th, 18th and the 14th.
This morning 16th) he spent more
than an hour in these fields searching
for weevils. He found no live waevils
and no recently punctured squares.
There were many weevils in the fields
before the poison was applied.
Mr.. ]. L. Jordan was picking about
fifty weevils per acre from his fields
before poisoning. He poisoned on the
Sth and 9th and on the 18th and 18th,
He sent hands into the fields to pick
weevils and the hands could find no
weevils. Mr.. Jordan and Mr.. Middle
ton went into the fields themselves and
looked for some time and could find
none.
On Monday the 18th instant, we poi
soned the field near the Pedigreed Seed
company's gin and warehouses in
which numerous weevils had been OBJ
served On Wednesday we sent about
twenty hands into this field, offering
them two cents for each live weeyil
A few quit promptly on not finding
any weevils. About fifteen, however,
kept looking for some time, but none
found a weevil after going over about
seven acres. Mr.. Sharpe, who was in
charge of the gang, raised the price to
five cents per weevil, but still failed
20 find any. Later the price was ad-
vanced to ten cents per weevil. and not
a single band found a weevil after
searching for two hours.
Mr. George ]. Wilds, plant breeder
of the Pedigreed Seed company, car
ried out the following experiments
during the past week:
-, Test No. I.
At 1 p. m, on the 10th instant nine
hills Of cotton were treated with the
molasses mixture. There are two
plants in each hill, and only one of the
plants in each hill was treated. Twen-
ty-one weevils were placed on these
nine hills, about one-half being placed
on the poisoned plants and the rest or
the imprisoned plants. At p. m., the
nine hills were examined, with the re-
suit that six living and six dead Wee
wills were found on the treated plants
At 2 D. m, on the 18th the same plants
were examined again and two live and
eight dead weevils were found. At
a. m, on the 14th the plants were
again examined and no live weevilE
and ten dead ones were found. As
weevils move considerably at this sea.
son it is assumed that all that re-
mained on the treated hills were de-
stroyed within the test period The
mixture used in this test was HAL
gallon water, one gallon molasscs ant
two pounds calcium arsenate.
Test No. 2.
At / p. m., on the 10th instant, ter
hills were treated with the following
mixture: Eight gallons Of water, three
gallons of molasses and ten pounds cal
cium arsenate. And on the ter hill:
twenty weevils were placed. At G p. m
on the same day, four living and fiv,
dead weevils were found. At p. m,
on the 18th, two living and seven deat
weevils were found. At a. m, on th'
I4th, one live weevil and eight dea(
ones were found. Mixture used above
is very light and dries up quickly.
Test No. 3.
Same mixture was used on test No
3, under about the same conditions
and rs per cent of the weevils sue
cumbed.
Test No. q.
In test No. 4 mixture of five gal
lone of molasses, five gallons of water