Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1929-05-06
u. S. Weevil Control?

SUGGESTION made 10 the House COMMITTEE on AsH-
r,lsure bv Robert Amory Of Boston that control OF the
boil weevil be undertaken by the United states oe-
partment of agriculture as a farm relief measure
.-.a.. With anrroval OF the Wall Street Journal.
TTrder the head "A Farm Relief Suggestion the
Journal says:
sensible suggestion for farm relief was made to
4he House mi on Agriculture by Robert
Amory. OF Boston. Pointing out TO the committee
that the quality Is deteriorating. Mr.. Amory. who Is
n cotton manufacturer, said the deterioration was
caused bv the boil weevil ravages and also by the
rIsrtire If seed of inferior variety. AS a remedy he
suggested that the Government undertake the control
~ seed planting and the determination Of the boil
weevil.
So far as the boil ueevil is concerned 1t is one Of
the greatest causes Of the high cost OF producing cot
ton and consequent reduction Of the farmers profits.
Our cotton crop Of 1923 had a farm value OF over
1880 0O.n 900. The destruction wrought by the boil
weevil varies from year TO year according to the
natural control OF the weather. but IL is always cap
able of enormous damage. In 1921 when the wealth.
er conditions we're favorable the percentage reduction
from a fun Weld caused caused by the weevil ravage
was officially estimated at So:ss per cent.
No individual farmer or community Of farmers. or
even a single state can control this insect alone. Be-
ing a migratory insect. travelling on wings, and with
Mexico always a surplus breeding place. 1t Is useless
to talk Of creating zones. even state wide, where cot
ton is not to be raised for a season or two. II the
weevil is to be handled effectively it must be done
over the entire cotton belt and under a centralized
control. There is no other governmental agency capable
OF doing this aside from the Department Of Agri-
culture.
But the Government lacks constitutional authority
to undertake such work which must be enforced by
compulsory laws. The method Of handling the cat
tie tick. however. furnishes a good working example
In that matter the Government and the states CO.
operated together. the states enacing laws to compel
the necessary methods of eradication. When the work
began in 1906 there were e6 counties in is states un-
der quarantine. At the end Of the fiscal year 1927
all but 24s counties had been released. The millions
that the work has cost Is being returned to those
states in prosperous dairy and beef industries.
No false hopes should be entertained Of ever exter-
minatine the boil weevil. but the Department OF Agri-
culture with the resources Of this government behind
II Generating with all the cotton belt states in the
same manner as in the tick eradication, could bring
The weevil under far greater control than is possible
nv any other method. This would mean many millions
RI dollars to the producers, it would mean increasing
the purchasing power of those states to be consequent
advantage of all business and 1t would reduce the
market uncertainties and fluctuations that the boil
ueevil now causes during the growing season If this
were done it would Be real relief to the cotton iarrae-s.