26 



of the weevils to advance in southeastern Alabama a?* 

 they would usually have done. 



1915 Movement Greatest Ever Known. — Killing Irosl 

 occurring generally throughout North Alabama about 

 November 15 put a stop to further advance of the 

 boll weevil in that section for 1915. This is about 

 three weeks later than the average date for killing 

 frost in the Tennessee Vallcv and gave the weevils 

 opportunity to spread somewhat farther than Ihey 

 could have done in an average season. 



The advance of the weevil for 1915 covered more 

 new territorv than in anv season since it entered Texas 

 in 1892. In' the fall of 1911 the weevil line passed 

 through Houston County, Alabama, within a few^ miles 

 of the Chattahoochee Valley. The infestation of Hous- 

 ton County, however, occurred so late in the season 

 of 1914 that the weevils failed to maintain themselves 

 beyond the eastern part of Geneva County, where they 

 were found scatteringly in the early summer of 1915. 



Early in September, 1915, traces of boll weevil work 

 w^ere discovered in the vicinity of Thomasville, Geor- 

 gia, which was beyond the (listance that the weevil 

 would normally have reached by the end of the sea- 

 son. Immediate investigations in Georgia and Ala- 

 bama revealed the fact that a remarkable movement 

 of the weevil had occurred, apparently between thi- 

 20 and 23 of August. This movement had carried 

 the weevils for more than 140 miles in an eastwardly 

 and northeastwardly direction beyond the 1914 line 

 in Alabama, lliroughout this newly infested terri- 

 tory, the infestation evidently began at practically the 

 same date, as weevil stages, eggs and grubs, found 100 

 miles away were as old as those found only a short 

 distance beyond the 1914 line. A similarly great ad- 

 vance was made by the weevils into western l^exas and 

 central Oklahoma where more than 25 counties were 

 invaded for the first time. 



Spread By Winds. — An examination of the Weather 

 Bureau records in Alabama revealed the probable ex- 

 planation for this unusual movement in tliis eastern 

 section. It is found in a heavy wind from the West 

 and Southwest which occurred on August 20, fol- 

 lowing the severe storm at (uUveslon, Texas. Weevils 

 do not take flight in a heavy wind but if caught by 

 strong wind currents high above the surface they m«y 

 be carried for long distances and the greatest advance 



