f7.&t ;*a- Circular No. 122. i. 1910. United States Department of Agriculture, BUREAU OF ENTOMOLOGY L. O. HOWARD, Entomologist and Chie THE STATUS OF THE COTTON I Bj W. D. Hi mi In ' Southern \\u.\ [NFESTED All the regions in which the cotton boll wee 1909 are shown on the accompanying map (fig ccur m not iced Fig. 1. M , • ■ ei Ions In which the cotton boll weevil occurred ia 1909. that outside of the United States the insed occurs only in Mexico. Central America, and Cuba. The infested area in Texas covers all ■ statements in this circular regarding the territory infested by the tjrjH cover the advance made by the insecl up to the close of tl^e year h90fl since that time it has i in the United States considj rably. as will be shewn a map soon to be issued by the Bureau of Entomoloj - -10 2 THE STATUS OF THE COTTON BOLL WEEVIL IN 1909. except the western cotton-producing counties, which in recent years have contributed increasingly to the crop of the State. Practically all of the State of Louisiana is within the infested territory. In Mississippi, 23 counties are more or less infested; in Arkansas, 20; and in Oklahoma, 15. Of the total cotton acreage in the States concerned, the weevil is found in about 80 per cent in Texas, 30 per cent in Arkansas, 25 per cent in Mississippi, 35 per cent in Oklahoma, and practically 100 per cent in Louisiana. This area comprises very nearly 30 per cent of the cotton acreage in the United States in the year 1909, or about 37 per cent of the total number of square miles found within the cotton belt. In other words, a portion of the infested territory includes relatively a greater acreage devoted to cotton than the remainder of the belt. It is important to note that along the extreme outer edge of the infested territory in the United States the weevils did not invade the cotton fields until late in the season of 1909; too late, in fact, to do any damage to the crop of that year. The infested area includes many regions in which the boll weevil problem takes on local aspects. There is the greatest diversity of climatic and other conditions which react on the insect in such a way as to establish areas of varying degrees of damage. These individual areas will not, of course, display a constant amount of damage each season, but in a series of years will show features that serve to differentiate them from each other. In general, the damage is least on the dry plains of the western portion of Texas and increases toward the east. Where a large precipitation is combined with the presence of an abundance of timber, as in portions of Louisiana, the damage is greatest. Nothing has transpired up to the present time to indicate that the weevil will not eventually reach the northernmost and easternmost portions of the cotton belt. Its advance to the east will be more rapid than to the north. This is on account of the lower tempera- ture in the north, to which it seems necessary for the weevil to adapt itself more or less slowly. In some seasons the northward advance will probably be checked altogether by abnormal conditions, but the experience now acquired seems to indicate that the weevil will eventually overcome any climatic barriers that may be encountered. Although the advance to the east and north seems to be certain, there is a large region in the west into which the weevil can make its way only with very great difficulty, if at all. In the high, open plains of western Texas, where cotton production has developed enormously in the last ten years, the conditions of the winters and summers combined will probably serve as an effective barrier against the weevil. In that region there is little timber in which the insects may obtain shelter from the severe winters. Moreover, the normal M'l STATUS OF CHE COTTOK BOLL WEEVIL IM L909. 3 dryness of the summer compared to thai in more easterly regions, causing small plants and little shade, will acl as an equalrj strong check upon the insect. On accounl of these conditions ii can qo( be considered thai the boll weevil i- an important menace to the cultivation of cotton in the territory west of aboul the one-hundredf !i meridian. FEATURES OF THE SE ISON OF 1909. The season of 1909 was verj pecuhar as regards damage by the l)oll weevil. The preceding season (1908) was also abnormal, but in quite a different way. The two abnormal seasons coming in succession ha\ e nat urally vi\ en rise to various erroneous ideas about i he future. The situation in 1908 was affected first by climatic conditions of the fall of 1907 and the following winter. These allowed an unusu- ally small number of weevils to pass through the winter. Experi- ments performed with many thousands of weevils in large field cages show ed a survn al <>f about 3 per cent as against 1 2 per cent aft er the winter preceding the season of 1907. That is, about four times as many weevils survived to damage the crop in 1907 as in L908. The records based upon experimental cages were corroborated by the inspection of about 300 fields in dune. 1908. From this work it was found that in the represent at ive fields examined there w as an average of only '■> weevils per acre in uorthern and eastern Texas in L908 as against 226 per acre in 1907. In August, 1 908, an examination of the degree of infestation of squares in many localities showed ."> percent damage as against 54 per cent in 1907. Following the remarkably disastrous conditions for the weevil in 1908 in Texas came another series of checks in L909 in Texas in June, August, and September. This was the more important because the pest had not had sufficient time to recover from the loss suffered in 1908. It has been pointed out elsewhere that the most important check to the weevil in Texas is dry weather. It has been found that the damage done is practically in proportion to the amount of precipitation during the growing season. As the rainfall increases the damage becomes greater. The season of L909 in Texas will always he notable on account of the extremely dry and hot weather. At Fort Worth there was a monthly deficiency in rain- fall from February to June, inclusive, of over 1 inch. The accumu- lated deficiency for the first seven months in the year was 10.42 inches. It must he recalled that this represents practically a third of the normal total annual rainfall at Fort Worth. Other points in the portion of Texas where the hulk of the crop is produced show similar records. At Dallas, for instance, the accumulated deficiency of the year 1909 up to August 1 was l l.i's inches, for Waco 10.98 inches, for Palestine 13.03 inches, and fur Taylor 11.28 inches. In addition to the actual shortage in rainfall very high temperatures occurred. The droughl w ithoul the high temperat ures, or \ ice \ ■ would not have affected the weevil especially. The tw«> influences 4 THE STATUS OF THE COTTON BOLL WEEVIL IN 1909. combined, however, served to give it such a check as it has never experienced in this country. At many points in Texas and Louisi- ana all records for summer temperature were exceeded. For several days the thermometer registered over 110° F. and in some cases 114° F. was reached. On the surface of the ground the temperature was natural!}' even higher. No one who traveled in Texas during the season of 1909 could have failed to notice the effect of the abnormal climatic conditions on crops of all kinds. The cotton generally grew to from one-fourth to one-half of the normal size. The conditions were so adverse that even variety characteristics were more or less obliterated. The same conditions acted on the boll weevil. In fact, through large productive areas in central and northern Texas the insect was so reduced in numbers that it did not injure the crop to any extent whatever. It is interesting to note that the experience of the season of 1909 shows conclusively that while a certain degree of dry weather is greatly to be desired for the controlling effect it has upon the boll weevil, dryness beyond a certain degree not only affects the boll weevil adversely, but also the cotton plant. In fact, it became evi- dent that the cotton plant was so stunted by the dryness that it was unable to derive any advantage whatever from the comparative scarcity of the weevils. DISPERSION OF 1909. As regards dispersion, the season of 1909 was almost as unusual as in other respects. In one region by far the largest advance ever recorded was made by the weevil. Tins covered 120 miles of ter- ritory in southern Mississippi. At the same time in Oklahoma the greatest advance was only 30 miles, while throughout the greater portion of that State the line was extended only about 10 miles. A notable feature of the year's dispersion was the failure of the insect to extend its range considerably into the Yazoo Delta in Mis- sissippi. During the preceding year an exceedingly light infestation reached the extreme southern portion of the delta. This was the vanguard of a flight that was rather extended. During the season of 1909 the insect extended its range in that quarter only about 15 miles. Why there should be an advance of 120 miles in southern Mississippi and only 15 in the northern portion of the State at first seems obscure, but studies that have been made indicate the expla- nation very clearly. One of the primary reasons for the dispersion movement of the weevil seems to be its inclination to obtain fresh food, and cotton squares in which to breed. Where the cotton fields are small and separated by considerable distances, this instinct causes the weevils to fry over a large extent of territory. On the other hand, where cotton fields are numerous it is unnecessary for a considerable advance to be made. In other words, a region of light I'll B STAT1 EE COTTOS BOLL W II All, IN L909. 5 cotton production causes the dispersion movement to be spread over more territory, while a region of heavy cotton production abs the \\ ee\ ils t bat arc compelled to fly aw a \ from the locality in which they were produced. This undoubtedly explains in pari the failure df the weevils to make a heavy advance into the Yazoo Delta dur- ing tin' season of L909. Moreover, there is at least one further rea- son for the situation described. 'The number of weevils that enter into the dispersion movement must naturally be dependent upon the numbers that are bred in the cotton fields of the region from which the dispersion takes place. A heavy Infestation in a certain region, therefore, means a large number of weevils to fly into previously uninfested territory. In a contrary way a light infestation means a .natively small volume of weevils to fly beyond the original territory. In northeastern Louisiana, the locality From which the Va/.oo Delta must naturally become infested, various conditions caused an unusually small number of weevils to be found in the fall of 1909. In fact, tin' number was not sufficient to cause a heavy dispersion movement. It is impossible to state which of these factors is iicrc import ant , hut in all probability the small number ofweevilsin northeastern Louisiana and the extensive cotton fields of the delta which absorbed the fight -movement were about equally important in preventing a further advance in the Yazoo Delta than w as made ill 1909. HISTORY IN TEX IS. Naturally t he st at us of i he ho! I weevil is shown by its hist ory in the region in the United States where it has existed for the longest time. 1 1 is therefore important to examine the history of the insect in Texas. On account of great climatic variation-, for the purpose of determin- ing the manner in which the hull weevil has affected cotton produc- tion in Texas it is necessary to divide the State into three a These arc eastern, central, and western Texas. The division- are made in accordance with variations in normal annual precipitation and other factors. Eastern Texas as used in thi> circular is hounded on the west by a line running practically north and south from the western fine of Lamar County to the western fine of Brazoria County. In this region t he rainfall is 15 inches per. year or more. It comprises the counties listed below." Practically the whole area is covered with forests, li covers 10,180 square miles. Central Texas com- prises a broad belt from the Gulf to the Red River, beginning on the wesl with the limit of the belt of 32 inches normal annual rainfall, and extends eastward to the line ju>t described as defining the Red River, Bowie, Franklin, Titus, Morris, Cass, \\ i. I amp, Upshur, Marion, Harrison, Smith, Gregg, I herokee, Rusk, Panola, Nacogdoches, Shelby. San Augus- tine, Sabine, Angelina, Trinity, San Jacinto, Polk, Tyler, Jasper, Newton, Liberty, Hardin, Oi ferson, Chi Lveston, Lamar, Delta, Hopkins, Rains, Van Zandt, II- tone, Anderson, !. i, Houston, Madison, Waller, Grimes, Walker, Montgomery, Ham-, Fori Bend, and Brazoria. (•) THE STATUS OF THE COTTON BOLL WEEVIL IN 1909. western boundary of the eastern Texas area. Central Texas consists of 45 counties™ and comprises 38,868 square miles. It is for the most part prairie country, although there are wooded valleys and occasional strips of timbered uplands. Western Texas comprises the remainder of Texas, beginning with the line marking the end of the area of 32 inches normal annual precipitation. It is largely a prairie region, though wooded valleys are numerous. Another factor in differentiating western Texas from central Texas is the increased elevation. A careful study has been made of the manner in which the weevil has affected the production of cotton in the three regions mentioned. Use has been made of the census records of production from 1899 to 1909, a period of eleven years, as shown in the accompanying table: Eastern, central, and western Texas cotton -production compared, 1899-1909, from I nited States Census. [500-pound bales.] Eastern. Central. Western." Years. Bales. Per cent of Texas crop. Bales. Per cent of Texas crop. Bales. Per cent of Texas crop. 1899 : 637,872 811, 113 633,620 736,660 .M5, L'ss 22.44 23.59 25.32 29.48 22.06 1,633,618 1,892,669 1,448,872 1,332,487 1,242,654 62.61 55.04 57.90 53.34 50.28 337, 528 734,304 H9.674 428,866 683, 139 12.94 1900 21.36 1901... ia 77 1902. . 17. 17 1903 27. 64 Vverage, 1899-1903 672,970 24.88 1,510,060 55.85 520, 702 19.26 1904 7211,071 329, 523 672,497 343, 328 51. -•,<>.> 474,311 22.91 12.96 16. 11 14 92 13.50 18.80 1,700,224 I, 114,115 2.213,863 1,218,143 l,98(l.7(ii. 1,362,096 54.15 55.63 53.03 52.95 50.60 53.99 724, 475 7'.l\J',l! 1,287,846 738, 708 1.31.S. li.Sl 686, mi 23.07 1905 31. 40 1906... 30. 86 19117 32.11 1908 33.68 1909. 27.20 Average, 1904-1909 509, 228 16. 53 1,648,201 53.39 925, 735 29.72 a Including counties grouped by census under "All other." In eastern Texas the production for five years ending with 1903 averaged 24 per cent of the total crop of Texas. During the same series of five years western Texas averaged 19 per cent of the total crop. For the six years ending with 1909 the eastern Texas pro- duction dropped to 16 per cent of the total crop of Texas, while the production in western Texas advanced to 29 per cent of the total crop in Texas. In other words, the portion of the Texas crop produced in one area has decreased 24 per cent and in the other it has increased 74 per cent. This increase in the west, where the dry climate reduces boll-weevil injury, served to offset the loss in eastern Texas, and ^Central Texas counties: Cooke, Grayson, Fannin, Denton, Collin, Hunt, Tarrant, Dallas, Rockwall, Kaufman, Johnson, Ellis, Bosque, Hill, Navarro, McLennan, Lime- stone, Bell, Falls, Williamson, Milam, Robertson, Brazos, Travis, Lee, Burleson, \Y;i liiii.L'Inii, Hays, Bastrop, Caldwell, Fayette, Colorado, Austin, Guadalupe, Gon- zales, Lavaca, Wharton, Dewitt, Goliad, Victoria. Jackson, Refugio, Calhoun, Mata- gorda, and Aransas. I II I STATUS l] DHE COTTON BOUL W II VII. 1 \ I 7 tlms accounts to a greal extenl for the fad thai the total crop of the State ha 3 doI fallen off. The table is introduced to show in what manner the State of Texas is able to produce large crops of col ton since the advenl of i be wee\ il. There has clearly been a falling oft' in the proportion of the total crop of the State which easl Texas produces. "While this has hap- pened an extensive immigration into western Texas, where the v, is unable to withstand the climatic conditions, has resulted in a pro- duction which more than offsets the loss suffered in the eastern part of the State. The greal increase in production in the western portion of Texas is shown conspicuously by reference to individual counties. In 1899 11.. II County, in t he extreme western portion of the State, produced 113 bales; in 1908, over 17,000 hale-. Between the same years the crop in Jones County increased from I. nun hales to 33,000; in Taylor County, from 6,000 to 37,000; in Coleman County, from 8,000 to 62, ); and in Runnels County, from 3,000 to 56,000. There was an average annual gain in the period referred to in Hall County of ■ >\< r 10,000 hale-; in Jones County, an average annual gain of over 22,000 bales. The other counties in that portion of the State -how similar records. While this remarkable increase lias been accomplished in western Texas, there I, - been a greal falling off in tin 1 eastern portion of the State. For instance. Fannin Count} produced 59,000 hales in 1899 and 18,000 bales in 1908. Likewise, in the same time Red River County fell from 29,000 hair- to 18,000 hales. These conditions are better illustrated by comparing the average annual production before 1 '.mi 1 and since that year. This gi\ es a period of ten years, in half of which the boll weevil was distributed generally in eastern Texas. For the five years ending with 1908, tin' crop of Fannin County showed an average annual loss of 16,752 hales; Lamar County, an average annual loss of 10,246 hales; Red Liver County, of 11,576 hale-: and Grayson County, of lit. 171 bales 'Tli. Bureau of Plant Industry attributes the reduction in cotton production in easl Texas t" the follow Log causes, in addition in the boll weevil: First. The construction of railroads and sawmills in the long-leaf pine counties, which, by their higher wage, drew thi ii main supply of labor from the small farms of that - < tion. h1. The introduction of more profitable lines of agriculture, such as wrapper o, truck gardening, small fruits, peaches and pears, for which east Texas is well adapted Third. The Ti ustry, which in the past .i.i.l attracted many small farmers from ea I Texas. il • orl made bj the I nited States Department of Agriculture Mi. farmei their home supplies, which has had considerable • This readjustment of agriculture in east Ti i reduction of the acreage in i and the s and cash crops would, however, b in any event. Ii was Bimplj hastened bj the advent of the weevil. 8 THE STATUS OF THE COTTON BOLL WEEVIL IN 1909. Mr. F. W. Gist, of the Bureau of Statistics of this Department, has made a very careful study to determine the center of cotton produc- tion in Texas for each year from 1899 to 1908. As would be sup- posed from the figures that have been given, it was found by Mr. Gist that the center of production had moved considerably to the west- ward. In fact, this center moved from 30.78 miles east of the ninety- seventh meridian in 1899 to 19.14 miles west of this meridian in 1908. This was a westward movement of practically 50 miles. The center of production in 1899 was on a line passing north and south through the eastern portion of Grayson County, in Texas. In 1908 the center had moved to a line passing parallel with the other through the western portion of Cooke County, in Texas. The situation in central Texas is most interesting. This area in the five-year period ending with 1903 produced 55 per cent of the Texas crop. For the six-year period ending with 1909 it produced 53 per cent of the Texas crop. This shows that for practical pur- poses the production in the central portion of the State has been maintained in spite of the weevil. This has been very largely due to the efforts that have been put forth by the Department of Agri- culture, and indicates that in central Texas the control of the weevil for practical purposes is an accomplished fact. In this connection attention may be directed to the fact that there is a tendency to attribute to the boll weevil more damage than is rightly chargeable to the insect. Climatic conditions, changes in acreage, and other factors, including the work of the bollworm and leaf worm, caused great variations in production in any locality, from year to year, before the advent of the boll weevil. Careful allow- ance must be made for the effects of such factors in determining the extent to which the boll weevil has affected the crop. In the state- ments made in this paper a careful attempt has been made to avoid overestimating the effect on the crop due to the boll weevil. THE CHAIN CULTIVATOR. Though not perhaps strictly connected with the status of the weevil, the opportunity is taken to discuss briefly an important machine for use in weevil control. As the result of man}' examina- tions to determine the natural mortality of weevils in cotton fields, it was found that when infested squares fell to the middles, where they- were exposed to the unobstructed lays of the sun, the great majority of the weevils perished in a remarkably short time. Under natural conditions the bulk of the squares fall in the shade of the plants. Therefore attempts were at once made to devise a machine that would carry the infested squares from shaded areas to the middles, where they would he exposed to the sun. After a great deal of study and experimentation Dr. W. E. Hinds, now professor of CHE STATUS 0] 111! COTTON BOLL Y\ I 1 \ [L IN L909. 9 entomology in the Alabama Polytechnic I olle e, perfected a < that has been found to accomplish tins work in a very satisfactory manner. It consists of two series of chains arranged on a wheeiless carriage in such a k ay thai thi anterior ends pass close to the base oi the plants, while t lie opposil e exl remit ies pass about inidu ay bet w een the rows. The inner posterior ends of the chains approach within about 8 inches of each other. As this machine is pulled through the field the ureal majority of the squares are dragged to the middles and deposited in a narrow row. In addition to the work of placing the squares w here i hey will be acted upon by the sun. the chain cultivator has been found to bave an exceedingly important cultural effect. It destroys small weeds, reduces clods, and fills the cracks. In fact, it establishes a dust mulch, which is greatly to be desired in cotton culture. An experiment performed in 1908 showed the effects of the prac- tical use of this machine. Half of a small held was cultivated in pail by the chain cult ivator and the remainder in t he usual manner. The yield was increased by L31 pounds of seed cotton per acre where the machine was used. This amounted to a gain per acre of $3.93, or practically what the machine can he manufactured for. No extra labor was involved in the use of the machine, since its use merely replaced the use of the ordinary implements for the later workings of t he crop. This experiment show s in a pracl ical way t he usefulness of the machine, which should eventually come into common use as much for its cultural effect as for weevil control. It is the direct result of strict !y invesl igal tonal w ork. The invent or of this machine surrendered all his rights as to loyalties to the Department of A ii- culture, SO that its manufacture may he taken up by any individual or company without the payment of fee-, to anyone whatever. The possible wide usefulness of the chain cultivator was appre- ciated by one of the largest implement concerns of the United State-, which undertook the manufacture of loo of them to be distributed during the season of 1909. Several practical tots were made during that season, and they showed that the hopes for the implement were not too high. Many planters who have witnessed the operation of the implement are arranging to use it for com as well as for cotton. r\i: \-i i ES OF THE WEEVIL. The insect enemies of the weevil are practically dependent upon it forfood. Therefore any conditions thai affecl the weevil adversely over a large extent of territory also affect the parasites. On this account work of die insect enemies of the boll weevil in 1909 was not at all conspicuous. Nevertheless important advances were made in the studies of the practical utilization of these enemies of the wee\ it. One parasite that has attacked the weevil in Texas may have 10 THE STATUS OF THE COTTON BOLL WEEVIL IN 1909. extended its range to the Mississippi River, and another, hitherto apparently restricted to the eastern portion of Louisiana, has heen found in Texas. There can be no absolute certainty that these species have actually extended their range, but at any rate they were found over unexpectedly large areas. The fact that they do not appear to be as restricted to certain regions as seemed at first to be the case undoubtedly serves to increase their potential importance as enemies of the boll weevil. In spite of the most unfavorable conditions the parasites caused a considerable weevil mortality. The average total control of the boll weevil by its insect enemies throughout the season of 1909 was 16 per cent. This total is smaller than in preceding years, but this is clearly due to the adverse conditions in the infested areas that have been described. It is very noticeable that the work of the parasites in hanging squares was considerable. It ranged in Texas from 46 to 54 per cent. That is, nearly half of the weevil stages found in hang- ing squares were destroyed by natural enemies. The work of the year added several species to the list of known insect enemies of the boll weevil. The list now includes 49 forms, of which 26 are parasites in the true sense — that is, dependent upon the boll weevil for furnishing food for their young, because their eggs are deposited upon the weevil — and 23 are predatory species, which merely devour the boll weevil but do not deposit their eggs upon or in it. IMPORTANT ADVANCE IN THE CONTROL OF THE BOLL WEEVIL. During the season of 1909 a noteworthy advance was made in the control of the boll weevil by means of a poison. The credit for this achievement belongs to Mr. Wilrnon Newell, of the State Crop Pest Commission of Louisiana. In experiments with Paris green for the destruction of the boll weevil, carried on in previous seasons, it was found that a certain number of the insects was killed. It occurred to Mr. Newell that the number reached by the poison could be increased greatly if a substance much finer than Paris green could be obtained. Arsenate of lead was the poison that was selected. Very large quantities of arsenate of lead may be applied to growing plants without any injury whatever. In the use of Paris green the pres- ence of a small amount of free arsenic causes considerable damage to cotton plants if it is applied at the rate of as little as 5 pounds per acre. Mr. Newell succeeded in having an entirely new form of arsenate of lead made by one of the manufacturers of insecticides. The substance is an exceedingly fine powder that can be forced into the "buds" and even into the covering of the squares of the cotton plant to a far greater extent than a comparatively coarse powder hke Paris green. The preparation of this form of arsenate of lead 1111. STATUS OF THE COTTOH BOLL WEEVIL IN L909. 11 consequently obviated two important difficulties thai attended the use of Paris green; thai is, the danger of burning the plants by large applications and the difficulty in forcing the substance into the parts of the plants where it would be taken up by the insect. Tims the foundation was laid for very greatly increasing the mortality that had previously been obtained from the use of another poison. In 1909 the State Crop Pesl Commission of Louisiana had thirteen experiments with powdered arsenate of lead, located at differenl places, comprising over 46 acres. The poison was applied at from l pound to 51 pounds per acre. In differenl experiments from one to ten applications were made. In all but one of these experiments an increased crop was obtained that resulted in a profit, after deducting the expense incurred, which varied from a few cents to $23 per acre. In the one experiment which did not result in a net profit an increased yield of 1-1 pounds of seed cotton per acre was obtained. The very Large amount of poison used in this case (51 pounds per acre) involved such au expense that this increased yield was not sufficienl to offsel it. In the experiments in which from 10 to 23 pounds of the poison per acre were used in from five to seven applications, the net profit ran from S3. 63 to $2o..Vl per acre. The most profitable amount of the poison to be used seems thus to be indicated, although the con- clusions from the preliminary work may be changed as the result of future investigations. It is important to note that the very encouraging results obtained by Mr. Newell were in experiments in which the application ^\' the poison was made either by one of his representatives or under this representative's directions. A large part of the efficiency of pow- dered arsenate of lead seems to be due to the thoroughness of the application. It is therefore to be supposed that under the practical conditions obtaining on plantations it may not be possible to obtain as successful results as those in >onie o( the experiments described. It does qoI detract from the high value of Mr. Newell's discovery to state that all the experiments that have been performed indicate mosl clearly that powdered arsenate of lead is not an absolute' specific for the weevil in the sense that it can be relied upon to the omission or neglect of other means of control. The early fall destruction of the cotton plants is undoubtedly a condition necessary to the suc- cessful Use of the poison. Likewise, the Other steps in the system of control advocated by the Bureau of Entomology are not minimized by the importance of the present discovery. At most t he poison merely places another means of control at the command of the planter. Everything indicates that it will be an important means. Thesystem of control in Use has been to a certain extent a combination of expe- dients for avoiding damage rather than of ways of actually killing the weevils. In fact, the early fall destruction of the weevils by burning UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA 12 THE STATUS OF THE COTTON BOLI """""^j '^52 09216 5397 the plants has been the only important and generally applicable direct means at the command of the planter. Powdered arsenate of lead is especially important as a direct means of killing weevils that may be applied at a season in which hitherto no important means of a direct nature have been available. Extensive work that is now being planned it is hoped will lead to definite recommendations as to the procedure to be followed in the use of the poison for the greatest possible profit under various conditions. The most important difficulty that is likely to be encountered in the use of powdered arsenate of lead against the boll weevil is the possible deleterious effect of the poison in the soil. Recent investi- gations conducted in orchards in Colorado where spraying of arsen- icals has been practiced for many years seem to indicate that a con- siderable amount of damage has resulted from the arsenic that has become lodged in the soil near the bases of the trees. In fact, Prof. W. P. Headden believes that in addition to the caustic effect of the arsenic on the roots of the trees there is a probability that damage is done the plants by absorption. At any rate, cases have been observed where the general health of the trees seems to have been affected in such a manner as would only seem likely to result from absorption. Although this matter is by no means fully understood at this time, it will be necessary to investigate carefully the possibility of injuri- ous effects on cotton lands from repeated annual applications of such large quantities of powdered arsenate of lead as were found to be profitable in the experimental work in controlling the boll weevil. If the cumulative effect of these applications is at all considerable, the use of the poison can not be advised. At the same time there is a possibility that something may be done in the counteracting of the possible deleterious effects of arsenate of lead by the application of some material witli the fertilizers. Approved : James Wilson, Secretary of Agriculture. Washington, D. C., April /. 1910. O