The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1924-08-26
URGES COTTON STALKS
BE DESTROYED EARLY
MEANS OF INSURING PROFIT
ABLE CROP IN 1925, SAYS
BOARD OF ENTOMOLOGY.

The early destruction OF cotton
stalks as a means of insuring a prof
liable cotton crop in 1925" as we'll as
helping to combat the boil weevil is
contained in a message to the farmers
given to the Associated Press by the
Georgia State Board OF Entomology
State Entomologist |. w Williams
points out in the report that the chief
reason among several whereby the
farmers will profit by the early de-
struction of the stalks is the fact that
if the stalks are destroyed early in the
fall it would stop the increase OF the
weevil in late squares.
The report further says that by the
destroying of the stalks that this will
'cut off the food supply of the weevll.
and will either force them to seek food
elsewhere cor go into winter quar-
tiers in a famished condition" This
step on the part OF the farmers, IN
the opinion OF the state entomologlst,
would save the farmers of Georgia
millions of dollars" The more weevil
that is to be had at alternating time, |
continues the report will mean that
more will be carried through to anoth- !
er crop. The stalks should be destroy /
ed as early as possible after the cot
ton has been picked and, continues
the report, "the earlier the better"
Weevils Hibernate.
I'm case, after you have destroyed |
your stalks" says the message to the
farmers. "the weevils go to a neigh |
boris field for food they will hibernate
in or near his field, and on coming |
out in the spring will start feeding
and remain until late summer on cot
ton nearest their alternating place.
You can readily see that it is a great
advantage for a cotton grower to de-
stroy his stalks. even il his neighbors
do not.
The few weevils that might remain
after the stalks have been destroyed
will 60 to their winter sleep in starv-
ing condition. and few will survive I'M
til another crop. The few survivors
will be able to deposit a much smaller
number of eggs than those that were
we'll fed late in the fall
There is still another reason for
destroying stalks early, that is in our
opinion, more important than all 9TH
ers, and that is to get rid of the wee
wills in the young, unopened bolls We
have made a close study of this sub
ject for years, and after severe win
ter have been able to find a large num-
Der of weevils in the hard bolls on
standing stalks and even on the sur
face where stalks were not plowed up
until such bolls had become thorough
" seasoned and hardened.
Mature in Fall
"These weevils did not reach ma
turity until fall and were either un-
able to get out OF the hard boil, or
by instinct elected to remain in the
warm lint in the boil until spring, at
which time they might with ease
emerge from the partly decayed boil.
Not having consumed any energy be
fore Information they are possessed
OF as much vitality as the young wee
vii Matched in midgrowing season and
do much more damage than the wee
vii that spent the winter in the open.
"A few years ago we left one acre
OF stalks standing in the center OF
forty acre field All other stalks were
destroyed early. This acre had been
clean cultivated and did not have
enough litter to afford winter protec-
ton for the weevil The entire field
was planted to cotton the following
year. and as soon as the plants were
we'll up weevilS could be found in
abundance on this acre and the rows