The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-02-22
MAY USE INDIAN
 ME ETHOD IN BATTLE AGAINST WEEV|[S
Hudson Maxim Suggests Waging of Fight on Pest Through Sense of Smell.
 Hutchison Speaks

ATLANTA, Ga, Feb. 21.-Dr Hud- son Maxim, scientist and inventor, at the closing session Cf the national cotton conference for boil weevil con- trol here tonight declared that the very rcethod used by the willy Indians to trap beavers may be used to ex- terminate the boil weevil, the scourge of the cotton belt
 The noted scientist spoke of Man or Bug; Which Shall Inherit the Earth?" He gave an account of the most destructive insect pests known to science, concluding his address with the boil weevl.
 During the early sessions today pr. Miller Reese Hutch son of New York. managing director of the campaign for the extermination of the cctton pest. and Bradley Slouehton, consult ing engineer of New York, were the principal speakers.
 During the course of the closing session Governor Thomas w. Hard wick of Georgia, announced that he would ask President Harding along what lines he wished the governors Of l4 cotton states to discuss the boil weevil situation. The governors in- vited to attend the conference, which will be held in the immediate future, include those from Alabama, south Carolina, Oklahoma and Arkansas.
 O O O
 Parker Too Busy.
 Many of the state executives today wired Governor Hardwick, accepting his invitation for conference. Gov. John M. Parker of Louisiana, accord ing to a telegram received by Cover nj Ia q vf-lr ,rtx T 4t. Klan a greater menace to the south ern farmer than the boil weevil and will for the present continue his fight to eradicate that organization, he said.
 The Louisiana executive added that for the present he would let others look after the extermination of the south's cotton pest. but would ap- point representative to attend the governors conference
 Dr. Maxim, speaking to a crt wded auditorium said:
 Like Appollyon in Bunyan's 'Pii- grim Progress the insect straddles itself over the whole breadth of the way, and says to mankind Thou shalt go no farther. Here will I spill thy soul'"
 XII Weevil Through Smell.
 With this thought in mind" said the scientist. let me suggest that possibly the fact that smell is the guiding sense of insetcs in the dis covery of their mates. rather than sight or hearing CT touch. may offer some suggestion of lure that may be helpful,p
 Experiments made with flies and moths and other insects show that they are provided with very highly developed olfactory organs, which gave them a keenness of scent that would shame the sense of smell of the hound dog. They appear to have sort Cf radio sense"
 Tt was demonstrated by experi- ment,' he said. .'conducted with silk worm moths that the male moth can smell the female moth at a distance of two miles, and if the scent produc- ing organs of the female be cut away and the mutilated female moth be placed in one situation and the scent organs in another the male will visit the scent organ and will not find the mutilated female.
 When the white men came to this country they found that the American Indians were able to catch many beavers in their traps. while the white men were quite unable to catch this wary animal in the traps they set. But an Indian one day betrayed the secret to a white man for a glass of rum. The Indians scented their traps with the odor of the female beaver, which served to attract the male beavers. and they would walk right into the traps. The result was that it was not long before the white men had caught so many of the male
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