Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1922-03-03
AFTER PINK BOIL WEEVlL.
Cotton Pest from Egypt Threatens
H.N Texas. Saws Conn missioner,


- Texas, Says Commissioner.
An investigation Of the ravages OF
the pink cotton boil worm in the La
guna agricultural district of Mexico
and the almost certain spread Of the
pest to Texas and other states Of the
South has been made by w. D. Farris
of Ennis, vice president Of the Texas
farm bureau and member Of the State
Pink Boil Worm commission, and Lea
Beatty of Lockhart, representating the
Texas state department of agriculture.
The Laguna district embraces the val
| ley of the Nazas river, in the states OF
Durango and Coahuila, with Torreon as
| it's commercial centre.
"The people Of Texas can hardly
realize the cnormity of the menace" :"
Mr.. Farri5 said. Starting in the delta
region of the Nile few years ago the
pink boil worm has spread over the
cotton growing districts of the world
with appalling rapidity.
I'm spite of all we can do, the South
will be invaded by this pest, and we
must be prepared to fight it. Its ap-
pearance in four or FIVE isolated dis
tricts OF the statesin. the last three
years must serve as a warning.
Through quarantine measures and nom
cotton zones, we have been able to hold
the insect in check, but Texas has yet
to- feel the effects of real invasion.
When it comes it will cost the state
millions of dollars, and we must be
prepared to fight for our economic ex-
istence as a cotton growing section"
Mr.. Farris described the Laguna dis
trict as an alluvial basin with an area of
1000 square miles built up through the
ages by the Nazas river which starts in
the mountains and gradually disap-
pears as it passes through the cotton
district. Normally the production of
the area is 100000 bales If long staple
cotton year, but owing to the pink
boil worm the crop last year was So
900 bales. The entire crop was con-
sumed in Mexico. The land is divided
| into tracts of $50 acres each, each tract
surrounded by irrigation bitches bor-
dered with cottonwood trees. The
tract is planted every second year. In
the rest period it is flooded with from
five to six feet of water which remains
on the land five months, gradually
soaking in. The one crop produced ev-
cry two years averages a bale to the
acre. '.>
In the district Messrs Farris and
Beatty Witnessed six tests Of machine
invented recently to exterminate the
pink boil worm by subjecting infested
seed to a high temperature thus de-
stroying the worm, but not the gerrni-
mating power of the seed. Mr.. Farris
gave it as his opinion that the machine
was preventative only, and that nom
cotton areas were the only cure. In the
tests seeds were subjected for five min
utes to a heat of from 1873 to 145 de-
grees. At the lower temperature but
one out of every 100 worms survived.
At 145 degrees not live worm was
found. Seed from the district was TAX
en- at random for the tests, and AFTER
ward each seed was cut OPEN. This
showed 100 worms to every 215, seeds.
In termination tests the treated seed
sprouted and grew better than nom
treated seeds.
The machine consists Of a revolving
drum ten feet long, containing pipes
carrying 135 pounds Of steam pressure.
Seed is put in at one end and after a
| FIVE minute interval comes out sterll-
lied at the other end.