The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1923-04-10
FEBRUARY BLIZZARD
KILLED MANY WEEvILS
THE PERCENTAGE OF DEAD
ARE GREATER THAN IN A
NUMBER OF YEARS.

The February blizzard which over
spread most OF the cotton belt is be-
lieved to have killed off large pro-
portion of boil weevils which had
gone into winter retirement and 1t is
the opinion of the government ento-
mologists that during the initial period
of production this year the cotton
planters will have a good chance OF
a bottom crop.
1t is pointed out however, by the
department OF agriculture in state
ment recently issued that, should
weather conditions during the coming
season be unusually favorable for wee
vii multiplication, abnormally heavy
damage might occur.
Mortality Is Great.
Studies extending over nine years
by the governments experts at the
Delta Laboratory at Tallulah, La,
have been made to determine the
spring prospects of boil weevil emer-
gencies. Records were made at ff-
teen selected points in northern Lou
isiana to represent the different types
of Information conditions that were
found in the district. More than 5000
pounds OF Spanish moss was examin-
ed carefully each month for live and
dead weevls Experience has shown
that the ratio of both live and dead
weevils per ton of moss gives very
fair index to the spring emergenCe
which may be expected This year
nineteen live and forty-tWo dead wee
wills to the ton were found. Last year,
in which heavy weevil damage result
ed. 127 live and p dead weevls were
found. In 1921 the record was 2 live
and 20 dead; in 1920 it was 9.5 live
and 1873 dead; in 1910 it was four live
and s. dead; in 1918 it was IL live
and 48.9 dead; in 1917 it was 8 live
and 144 dead; in 1916 it was "A live
and l26 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
weevis continue to die fairly regular
ly 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 Is live weevils per ton OF
moss and no dead ones. The last col
lection showed very nearly the same
total number Of weevils but more than
two-thirds were dead, undoubtedly
due to the abnormal sudden fuctua-
tons 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.
Spotted Infestation Expected.
In connection with the prospects for
the coming season it is pointed out
that especially in the states west of
the Mississippi river a rather spotted
infestation may be expected, owing to
the extreme irregularity in the ac-
tivity 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 stopped, and the weevils then
mature were prevented from securing
an adequate supply of food before en-
tering Information. Such conditions,
however, were exceedingly localized,
and often only a few miles away no
leaf worm activity was noted Just
prior to FROST consequently, farmers
are warned to bear in mind the amount
of the leaf worm activity encountered
last fall when estimating the likeli-
hood of boil weevil infestation Of his
crop. The exact counts of weevils in
the studies were made in north Lott
isiana only. 1t is, however, quite pos
sble that a reduction in number of
alternating weevils has occurred in
other portions of the cotton belt
where Similar fluctuations in winter
temperature may have occurred.