Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-03-22
FEBRUARY BLIZZARD
MAY HAVE AIDED
FIGHT ON WEEV|H

WASHINGTON, March 19.-The
February blizzard which overspread
most of the cotton belt is believed to
have killed off a large proportion OF
boil weevil which had gone into win
ter retirement, and it is the opinion
Of the governments entomologilsts
that during the initial period of pro-
duction this year the cotton plant
ers will have a good chance of
bottom crop.
1t was pointed out, however, by
the department of agriculture in
statement today that, should wealth.
err conditions during the coming sea-
son be unusually favorable for
Weevil multiplication, abnormally
heavy damage might occur.
Studies extending over nine years
by the governments experts at the
Dalta laboratory at Tallulah, La,
have been made to determine the
spring prospects of boil weevil emer-
gencies. Records were made at fiji.
teen selected points in northern
Louisiana to represent the different
types of Information conditions found
in the district. More than $500
pounds of Spanish moss was exam
ined carefully each month for live
and dead weevils. Experience has
shown that the ratio of both live and
dead weeVils per ton of moss gives q
very fair index to the spring emer-
gence which may be expected. This
year nineteen live and forty-two
dead Weevils to the ton were found.
Last year, in which heavy weevil
damage resulted, 127 live and %
dead weevils were found. In 1921
the record was 2 live and 26 dead;
in 1920 i. was 9.5 live and 1873 dead;
fh 1919 it was four live and So dead;
in 1918 it was IT live and 1879 dead;
in 1917 it was s live and IA dead; in
1916 it was "a live and 1856 dead, and
in 1915 it was 10 live and Ala dead.
The distribution of mortality as
shown by the monthly examinations
throughout the past winter has been
unusually interesting. Ordinarily
the Weevils continue to die fairly
regularly during the winter months,
but through the past winter there
was no mortality until the February
blizzard. The January collection
made the same points, as the one
just completed showed rs live vice.
wills per ton of moss and no dead
ones. The last collection showed
very nearly the same total number
of weevils, but more than two-thirds
were dead undoubtedly due to the
abnormal sudden fluctuations in
temperature. For some weeks prior
to that time the weather had been
so warm that quite number OF
weevils in the regular Information
cage series were active almost every
day.
In connection with the prospects
for the coming season it is pointed
out that especially in the states
west of the Mississippi river a rath-
er spotted infestation may be ex-
pected, owing to the extreme irreg-
ularity in the activity of the cotton
leaf worm last fall. At some points
the cotton was defoliated early and
kept so free of foliage and new
fruit that Weevil breeding was
stopped, and the weevils then ma.
ture were prevented from securing
an adequate supply of food before
entering Information. Such condi-
tions, however, We're exceedingly
localized, and often only a few miles
away no leaf worm activity was
noted just prior to frost; conse-
quently, farmers are warned to bear
in mind the amount of the leaf
worm activity encountered last fall
when estimating the likelihood hof
boil weevil infestation of his crop.
The exact counts of weevils in the
studies were made in north Louis
lana only. 1t is, however, quite pos
sible that reduction in number of
alternating weevils has occurred in
other portions of the cotton belt
where similar fluctuations in win
ter temneratures NAV have ncc1lrred