The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-02-03
WEATHER ONLY
 ONE FACTOR IN ,
 WEEVIL CONTROL
Dry Weather In Summer Also Big Help In
 Killing Pest
CYST SHOWS RECORDS
 FOR LAST SEVEN YEARS
One Hopeful Feature Was Small Weevil Loss Alter
 1918 Freezes
tsTATE CAPITAL BUREAU)

t
 MONTGOMERY. Feb. Eff past performances mean anything as indi- eating future probabilities the unusu- ally low temperatures experienced this winter have not frozen a sufficient por- ton of the boil weevil in Information to give assurance of cotton yield this year unaffected by the damaging in- huence of the pest This is the c0nclu- sion reached by F. w. Gist, agricultu- ral statistician, after a study of the weather records of several years past in their relation to weevil damage tod cotton in Alabama.
 Mean low tempera lures may be meas- ured by the records of a few typical stations. says MT. Gist, for the reason that temperatures are fairly uniforml at given times over narrow areas 8tl least So that taking the records of the weather statistics at Florence, An- niston, Birmingham, Montgomery and| Mobile means may be found which fairly represents conditions over thel entire state. From the records of these| five stations. together with the perl centage of loss in the yield of cottonl chargeab ble to the weevil. MT. Gist pre- sents the following statement. showineI the mean low temperature of the winterI preceding and the weevil loss. of thsl seasons from 1917 to 1923, inclusive Figures Given ss
 Year 1917. mean low temperatursl g. loss by weevil. 26. .a
 Year 1918, mean low temperaturs , loss by weevil, 10. aAt1f7
 Year 1919, mean low. temperatureX &; loss by weevil, 46.
 Year 1920, mean low temperaturel| IT.; loss by weevil, Al.
 Year 1921, mean low ,temperature,| ? loss by weevil. AS. .s,1-sr....
 Year 1922, mean low temperature,| 23 loss by weevil, 20. sa gn
 Year 1923, mean low temperature,| lS loss by weevil, Il.
 In the above seven-year period thereI were two distinctively separate sets of prevailing weather conditionsa Th\ first three years comprised continuoul period of unusually low temperaturel during the winters. the average of thu mean low temperatures for the threS3 years being seven degrees above zero.j The range of these low temperatureG| ran from $ degrees below zero ~ Florence in 1918 to 17 above at MobflS all three of the years. The .sverae{ percentage of loss to cotton yiel1| chargeable to the weevil during thes1l three seasons was 27, ranging from 10| per cent in 1918 to 46 per cent q 1919. For the last four years of ti1G period the average of the mean loy1 temperatures was 21 degrees abovG| ranging from Il at Anniston in 102I to B at Mobile in 1921. The ayeras7 of weevil loss was 45 per cent; ranG ing from 20 per cent in 1922 to 71 pG5 cent last year. The latter figures axs| not official. but is about what may b1 charged to the weevil of the hesv1 loss to cotton yields in 1923. sssAa
 Inconsistencies shown
 Considering the various |. years ss arately it is seen that the least da age from the weeyil was experience ill 1918. following temperature ave aging II degrees. from which crop u average yield per acre was 160, t highest since weevil infesta tion.s m is what would be expected by tho who believe in the efficiency of col weather as means of weeyil controL On the other hand the warInssk win ter of the seven was followeA by th1 heaviest weevil damage in s1023, Alf to have been expected. Hut to th contrary, low temperatuFe ofF8 d1 grees in 1919 was followu6 by Wse vii loss of 46 per cent, whjle an aves age low of 23, the second highest q per cent. was followed by q loss 20 per cent. Also. an average low IS degrees last winter was followed loss nearly twice as high as the avl age for the seven years. The cnnc sion is inevitable that cold weather not the chief controlling factor.
 following statement showing tho q distribution for these yeafs may some interest to the study. The
 ures used are the parcenkARe O4 state OH which rain fell each dAy fn months of May. June and Julys 11 2ll; 1918, Ill; 1919, 90.Hs l< 223; 1921, l72; 1922. 26d; 1923, q
 It will be seen that the saAson least rain distribution was 1918 q he greatest 1919. These twn. VI compared with the hgurss relating low temperatures in the santa ,ye& are very significant. The last ys' when distribution reached 28, peg ee1zl low temperature IS degrees and wesgf loss extremely high, confirms tho eontES: ton that low temperatures h the WS1. ter and dry weather ins tns samzn1 combine to control the wnAthtns WhH warm winters bring heavy ws6vil dn age. When the two controlling f tors run to opposite directions in ssv ity appears that the weaSu damags lows more positively the vet sunam or the reverse. At any raeqt there nothing in the recoTds to indlcata q low temperatures put the wessN ont