Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-12-18
NICOTINE IS FOUND
GOOD As ARSENATE
IN WEEV|L CONTROL

CLEMSON COLLEGE, S. c., Dec.
16.-Judging from results secured by
the South Carolina experiment. sta
ton during 1923, nicotine promises
speedily to become an efficient
poison for controlling the boil weevil,
according to a statement given out
here today by Prof. A. F. Conradi,
entomologist of the station. Pro
fessor Couradi's statement follows:
"Since the successful adaptation
of calcium arsenate to boil weevil
control by the bureau of entomolo-
gy of the United States department
of agriculture a few years ago, there
has been a continually increasing
demand for this poison. Realizing
the vastness of the cotton acreage
of this country, as we'll as the limi-
tGtiOnS of the source of arsenic
the South Carolina experiment sta
ton undertook the investigation OF
the commercially available poisons
other than arsenic with a view of
being able ultimately to adapt one
or more to the problem of boil
weevil control After a careful sur
vey of the field of commercially
available toxins and the conclusion
of a series of preliminary expert
ments with various materials, it
became apparent that, aside from
arsenic, nicotine properly prepared
and applied gave the greatest meas
ure of promise.
"A series of tests was therefore
inaugurated at Clemson college and
neighboring points to determine as
far as possible the practical value
Of the nicotine dusts under field con.
ditions. Throughout these expert
ments calcium arsenate was used
for comparison because the efficien
cy of this poison in weevil control
had been fully established. The re-
suits secured in these tests are quite
convincing that nicotine dusts will
speedily develop, so that the in
creasing demand for weevil poisons
may be economically met.
''In this series of tests the gains
secured from both the nicotine and
the calcium arsenate dusts were
approximately the same and ranged
from two hundred to six hundred
pounds of seed cotton per acre. Elk.
pressed in terms of money at cur.
rent prices for lint and seed, the
gains would vary from $40 to $50
per acre after deducting cost Of
poison and labor for the season.
although these field tests repre-
sent only one seasons work in the
field and it is fully realized that d
great deal remains to be done in
the way of research and experiment.
ing, yet the uniformly satisfactory
results secured in the various tests
are so assuring that it is felt that
this information should be placed
before the public without waiting
until these tests have been repeated
during another year or two. A de.
tailed report is now in preparation
and will be issued shortly.
The new nicotine dust prepare
tions used in these Investigations
are white in color, resembling cal.
cium arsenate dust, except that they
may be identified by a pungent odor
and that for the present they are
arsenate. The nicotine dusts can
be prepared cheaper than the arse.
mics, and although pungent in odor,
they are harmless in foliage. They
appear to be quicker in action, while
no serious infestation of plant lice
occurred on the nicotine busted
areas during the season.
THE nicotine dusts are derived
from waste tobacco, a staple in
Southern agriculture. Tobacco de-
coctions and dusts have long been
known and used by farmers, fruit
growers and truckers, but it is only
in more recent years that the &C.
ton of nicotine has been better
understood and material progress
made in Harvesting this product to
better advantage. 1t seems to affect
the weevil's nervous system, pro
ducing multitude of symptoms Civ
ing every evidence Of being a VIC
lent poison to the weevil
Used extensively under field con.
ditions, no bad results were ex-
perinced either by the operators of
the machines or by the mules while
cattle grazing on adjoining pastures
which had received heavy drifts Of
the dust from the previous nights
poisoning were not affected. During
the busting experiments the ma
chine operators carried handker-
chiefs tied around their necks to
draw over the nose whenever condi-
tons were such as to make it neces.
sary to remain in the cloud for some
time. This seemed to be no serious
it,,, r.