Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-11-16
DETAILS Of WEEV|L
CONTROL METHOD
ARE GIVEN OUT

GAlNES NlLLE, Fla, NOV. To-
Removal of all squares (bracts SUBJ
tending the flowers) from cotto--
plants at time when virtually all
cotton boil weevils are out of their
winter quarters in Florida. about
June sand destruction of the
squares, followed Immediately by a
thorough application Of calcium ar
senate or lead arsenate with suit
able busting machine, is the method
developed for control Of the weevil
announced Saturday night by DR..
Wilmon Newell, plant commissioner
for the state plant board and direc-
tor Of the University of Florida ex-
pertinent station, it was disclosed
today by the official bulletin on the
subject.
DR.. Newell termed the develop
ment a "solar-plexus blow" to the
weevil and stated that fields which
had undergone the treatment had
produced virtually as much cotton
as before it's advent. George D.
Smith, associate entomologist, work
ing under the auspices of the state
plant board, is given credit for
evolving the new method of COM
batting the pest which has cost the
southern planters hundreds Of mil
lions of dollars.
The long known fact that the vice.
vii can be- poisoned effectively dur
ing the period preceding the appear
ance of the first squares played the
leading part in Mr.. Smiths work.
Application of poison at this time
kills virtually all weevils in the
field, but weevils emerging later de-
post their eggs in the early squares,
starting the seasons infestation.
After the squares develop, the adult
weevil is Indifferent to poison and
because the eggs and larvae are
within the squares the poison has
no effect upon them.
BY stripping the first squares,
eggs and larvae deposited by the
overwiptered weevils are removed,
says the bulletin. This disposes of
the weevil's progeny but consider
able number of adult weevils re-
main. These, deprived Of the
squares in which to hide and upon
which to feed, turn upon the ter
minal or growing bud Of the plant
for food. With the squares out OF
the way by stripping, it is simple
to literally fill the terminal bud with
poison from a dust gun.
At this time, the overwintered
weevils have only FIVE days to live
and their instinct to survive urges
them to feed literally. Application
of poison to the terminal buds at
this stage has been followed in all
the experiments by the destruction
of practically every weevil that es-
capted captured in the stripping OPP
Grafton.
and their progeny disposed of, no
additional weevils of any conse-
quence will come to the field before
the annual migration, which in Flor
ida usually takes place about Au-
gust 1. Cotton bolls which are more
than half grown when the summer
migration occurs succeed in matur-
ing and opening because the first
migratory weevils arriving in the
fields late in July turn to the squares
and do not attack the green bolls
to any extent. In this respect the
treated field, on arrival of the first
migratory weevils, Us in condition
comparable to that of any ordinary
cotton field earlier in the season
while weevils are destroying the
squares, the bolls largely escape
their attack.
(The cost Of the treatment Was
placed by DR.. Newell at from $3.50
to 81 an acre, including labor)