50 



• 



into a windrow. As its ertlciency depends upon the 

 inaintainance of fairly sharp, cutting edges on the 

 two steel blades that cut the stalks just below the sur- 

 face of the ground, it is not adapted to use in stony or 

 coarse sandy soil as such vsoil quickly dulls the knives. 

 It cannot be used conveniently where stumps are very 

 abundant, or on steep hillsides but on fairly level, 

 loamy bottom lands it may place stalks in position for 

 burning more cheaply than it can be done by any 

 other method. 



Burn fw Soon as Foliage and Tips are Dry. — Stalks 

 to be burned should be placed in position to burn while 

 still green to avoid scattering foliage, squares, bolls, 

 etc. The weevils are then concentrated upon the rows 

 or piles of stalks and nearly all of them will remain 

 there until burning can be accomplished. Burn as 

 soon as the foliage is dry enough to produce a good 

 heat, and while the stalks themselves are still too 

 green to burn cleanly. This saves a considerable part 

 of the vegetable matter. Run the fire along the wind- 

 rows with the wind to burn as fast as possible. 



Burning Destroys Weevils in Several Ways. — Burn- 

 ing stalks destroys w^eevils in a number of ways. First, 

 it will get immediately a large proportion of the wee- 

 vils already adult and active. Second, it will abso- 

 lutely destroy all immature stages in squares and bolls. 

 These stages developing into late weevils would be 

 the ones most likely to survive the winter. Third, by 

 the removal of all green cotton, weevils which escape 

 the fire will be likely to starve to death before they 

 succeed in finding food. Fourth, the destruction of 

 the stalks removes a large proportion of the material 

 which provides most favorable shelter for the weevils 

 during the winter, and weevils still remaining in the 

 ■field are therefore most likely to perish, or if driven 

 out of the field, less likely to find favorable shelter. 



3. Plowing Stalks Under Early Reeommended. — 

 The best method of stalk destruction, from the com- 

 bined view point of good farm i)ractice and also of ef- 

 fective weevil control, is to plow the stalks under deep- 

 ly and completely as earl}^ in the fall as may be possible 

 This preserves the full humus-making capacity of the 

 ■cotton stalks, grass and other vegetable matter that 

 may be present. If buried under four, or more, inches 

 of soil so few weevils will be able to escape that weevil 

 control will be practically complete. 



