53 



tlu- dcslriiclion ol slalks, there are a number of other 

 points inckuled in what may be called clean fanning 

 which should be carefully looked after in lighting the 

 weevil. The presence of stumps or dead timber in the 

 field, while had agricultural practice under any con- 

 ditions, is es|)ecially favorable to weevil hibernation. 

 Dr. S. A. Knap[) estimated that the presence of 

 stumps in a iield costs the cotton farmer on the average 

 ^'.\ per acre each year. With the boll weevil present, 

 they iuay cost Car more than this, because of the shelter 

 which the weeds, growing around them, may give to 

 hibernating weevils. They cost also by preventing the 

 use of improved machinery, wiiich is especially desir- 

 able in boll weevil territory. 



Clean Ditches, Turn Rou>s and Fence Lines. — In gen- 

 eral, we would say clean up all kinds of rubbish along 

 ditches, terraces, turn-rows, and around the edges of 

 the field to reduce the chances of weevils hibernating 

 successfully. This will decrease the injury done by 

 other insects besides the boll weevil. 



Fall (Uunpaign Most Economical. — From the stand- 

 l)oint of combined effectiveness and economy the early 

 fall is the best time in all the year to make the fight 

 against the bofl weevil. We have seen (page 48) that 

 wdiere stalks are destroyed by October first only a frac- 

 tion over one per cent, of as many weevils will survive 

 the winter as will survive if food is left for them until 

 the middle of November or until killing frosts occur, 

 riieretore, with early fall stalk destruction the weevil 

 fight is made far easier for the following spring and 

 summer. The fall campaign is in line with the best 

 farming methods and will involve hardly any extra 

 expense to obtain effective weevil control. If the fall 

 campaign is not made, then the weevil survival, with 

 average seasonal conditions, will usually make it 

 necessary to pick weevils from the young plants at the 

 time scfuaring begins (see pp. 41-4-1) and also to pick 

 and destroy infested squares repeatedly during the 

 first six weeks of the fruiting season (see page 42). 

 The necessary cost for those two admittedly incom- 

 plete methods of weevil fighting will usually be at 

 least '%3 per acre. In most cases where the fall cam- 

 paign is made it will be found unnecessary to make 

 this costly summer fight. The direct saving in labor 

 and expense is evident but this is not all. We should 

 'also consider the value of the increased yield which 



