298 



THE AGEICULTURAL NEWS. 



September 10, 1904. 



INSECT NOTES. 



Mexican Cotton Boll Weevil. 



For ten years past tlie Me.xican cotton boll weevil 

 has been a pest of importance, steadily spreading 

 through the cotton-growing region of Texas, and so 

 difficult has it been to conti'ol, that many statements 

 have been made regarding its destructiveness, present 

 and future. The United States Department of 

 Agriculture has made an exhaustive study of the life- 

 histor}- and habits of this pest and has recently issued 

 a bulletin covering all tlie work to the end of the 

 season 1903 — Division of Entomology, Ballet In No. 4.5. 

 The following notes consist chiefly of extracts from this 

 bulletin, and in view of the many extravagant state- 

 ments which have appeared from time to time in 

 various newspapers, these extracts should be of 

 interest to cotton growers in all parts of the world : — 



The Mexican cotton boll weevil (Anthonoiuus grai/dis, 

 Boh.) has the unique record of developing in les.s than 

 twenty yeavs from a most obscure species to undoubtedly 

 one of the most important economically in the world. 

 Befoi-e the advent of the boll weevil into Texas, unfavoural>le 

 weather at planting time, summer droughts, and heavy falls 

 of rains caused very short crops to be produced. Now, 

 however, the tendency is everywhere to attribute all the 

 shoi'tage to the weevil. Nevertheless, the pest is undoubtedly 

 the most serious menace that the cotton planters of the 

 South have ever been compelled to face, if not indeed, the 

 most serious danger that ever threatened any agricultural 

 industry. In spite of the generally serious outlook, however, 

 it must be stated that fears of the damage the weevil may do 

 are very often uuich exaggerated, especially in the newly 

 invaded regions. It is not at all necessary to abandon 

 cotton. The work of the Division of Entomology for several 

 seasons has demonstrated that a crop can be grown profitably 

 in spite of the boll weevil, and this exi)erience is du|ilicated 

 by many planters in Texas. The infested area . . . includes 

 about 30 per cent, of the cotton acreage of the United States, 

 which produced in 1900 about 35 per cent, of the total crop 

 of the country, or about one-fourth of the crop of the world 

 for that year. It seems safe to predict that in fifteen to 

 eighteen years the jiest will be found throughout the cotton 

 belt of America. Although there are no truly cosmopolitan 

 cotton insects, it seems likely that the boll weevil may 

 eventually be more widely spread than any other.' 



Cultural methods have lieen proved to be the only sure 

 means of comliating the weevil. Every suggested remedy 

 has been tried and in every case negative results have been 

 obtained. Cultural methods are sununarized under five 

 heads as follo^^'s : — • 



1. Fall destruction. — Cotton plants should be uprooted 

 and burned as soon as the cotton is all harvested. 



2. Early 2^l':ni(lng of raju'dli/ iixituring varieties. — This 

 gives the cotton plants an opportunity to get well developed 

 before the weevils become \ery abundant, and the injury is 

 greatly lessened. 



3. Wide spaeinr/. — This favours rapid maturity of the 

 [ilant, and acts as a remedial measure by allowing the sun to 

 readi the ground and causing the drying up of the scpiares in 

 which the larvae occur. 



4. Thorough cultivation. 



5. Fertilization with commercial preparations containing 

 high percentage of phosphoric acid. 



St. Lucia. 



The following notes are extracted from a report 

 by JMr. Ballou, on his recent visit to St. Lucia: — 



The jilants at the Botanic Station all seemed in good 

 condition, none being sufficiently infe.'^ted by scale or other 

 insect pests to be noticeable. !Mr. Buckmire informed me 

 that a sujiply of the usual insecticides is kept on hand, and 

 that the spraying ai)paratus which I had seen on previous 

 visits was all in good oi'der and frequently used. 



At tlie Agricultural School, the gardens and nursery 

 plots were carefully inspected and for the most part found to 

 be in good condition. The cacao and Ca.stilloa ruljbcr were 

 apparently growing vigorously except a few cacao [ilants which 

 were smaller than others of the same age ; no cause was, how- 

 ever, to be seen for this difference. These plants were quite 

 free fiom pests, except one Castilloa plant which was badly 

 attacked by the Akee fringed scale {Asterolecauiu ni pKst ulnns). 

 I reconunended that this plant be taken out ami destroyed and 

 that others on which a few of the scales appeared be sprayed. 



In the nurseries .some of the small orange plants were 

 somewhat infested with the West Indian red scale 

 (AsfiJiotuR articulatus) and one of the shield scales (Lecaniuiii- 

 s[i.). It was recommended that these plants be sprayed. 



Two plots of cotton, one of Upiland and one of Sea 

 Island, were very ."trong and healthy. On the plot of L'pland 

 cotton one cotton worm was found, and a few plants were 

 attacked by iilant lice. These latter will proliably not prove 

 serious, as there were a number of the red lady-birds {Ci/cloneda 

 saiiguiuea) present. Careful watch will be kept for the 

 appearance of the worms, and Paris green will be promptly 

 used. The Sea Island cotton was especially vigorous in 

 appearance. No worms or plant lice were to be seen 

 infesting it. The leaf-blister mite was not seen on either 

 of these plot.^, though careful search was made foi- it. 



BRAZILIAN COFFEE. 



The Montldy Consular Reports (United States) 

 for March contains the following note: — 



Careful investigation leads me to assume that the 

 coming coffee crop (harvest of 1904-5) throughout the coffee 

 States of Brazil will, from present indications, likely bo 

 below the average. It is of course impossible as yet to get 

 relialjle estimates, but there is no doubt that the coffee trees 

 have suffered a great deal lately : first, probably on account 

 of exhaustion, in consequence of consecutive abundant 

 bearing : and, second, through very severe droughts that ha^•e 

 l)revailed for the last few months. There has consecpiently 

 already Ijeeu a considerable rise in the prices of coffee here as 

 well as aln-oad ; but this seems to be caused more by specula- 

 tion than the natural condition of the market, as the visible 

 supply in the United States, as well as in Europe, is large 

 enough to satisfy a year's consumption without any further 

 receipts. The present rise in prices will mostly benefit the 

 dealers abroad who hold large stocks, the producers having 

 already disposed of nearly all their holdings. 



