FEDEKAL HORTICULTURAL, BOARD. 617 



several years ago, but as noted without finding any field infesta- 

 tion. 



Clean-up. — During 1922, 13,405 acres of cotton land were cleaned 

 at a total cost of $26,156.24. These fields were at Ennis, Marilee, 

 and Liberty, Tex., and Shreveport, La. In each case the area cleaned 

 was immediately adjoining noncotton zones. So far there has devel- 

 oped very minor need for cleanup work of this kind in connection 

 with the crop of 1923. A comparatively small area will, however, be 

 cleaned as an additional precaution in the case of quarantined areas 

 at Ennis and Marilee. 



Since the inauguration of the work in 1917, 53,042 acres have 

 been cleaned at a total cost to the department of $395,988.14. Un- 

 doubtedly this work has been the most important single factor in 

 bringing about the eradication of the insect. 



Progress in disinfecting cottonseed. — The installation of disin- 

 fecting machines at gins in regulated zones was begun in 1921 and 

 continued in 1922-23. In 1922, 37 of these machines were in opera- 

 tion, treating about 35,000 tons of seed at a cost of from 10 to 

 25 cents per ton. These machines are installed so that the disinfec- 

 tion of the seed becomes automatically a part of the process of 

 handling at the gins. Since by far the most important agency in the 

 dissemination of the pink bollworm is cottonseed, the installation of 

 this disinfecting system in all areas under suspicion is one of the 

 most important protective measures which has ever been taken. It 

 has proved possible to subject the seed under practical conditions to 

 a temperature which will destroy the pink bollworm and not in any 

 degree affect germination. 



The disinfection of seed is not a complete local protection from 

 the pink bollworm, as a certain amount of infestation remains in 

 the field. Nevertheless, disinfection at the gins undoubtedly de- 

 stroys the great majority of the insects present and eliminates the 

 danger of the carriage of infestation by the agency of seed over 

 long distances, and this has been one of the principal dangers which 

 has confronted the department in its fight against the pink bollworm. 



Revision of regulations. — Effective on June 1, 1923, the quarantine 

 on account of the pink bollworm was materially revised to cover 

 necessary changes in the quarantined areas and to simplify the ad- 

 ministration. Under this revision the amount of strictly regulatory 

 work, such as the issuing of permits, will be greatly reduced, and a 

 number of men will be released for the essential work of field inspec- 

 tions. In the calendar year 1922, 10,701 permits were issued. The 

 new regulations will reduce the number by more than 50 per cent but 

 without reducing the efficiency of the protective measures. 



New legislation in New Mexico. — A decided forward step was 

 taken by New Mexico in passing a law (March 7, 1923) licensing gins 

 and requiring as a condition of the issuance of the license the installa- 

 tion of an approA'cd seed-disinfecting machine. In other States this 

 is accomplished through regulations under general laws, but there is 

 considerable advantage in having a direct statutory provision on the 

 matter. 



Research in Mexico. — The research work on the pink bollworm 

 in the Laguna district, Mexico, was continued with headquarters as 

 heretofore at Tlahualilo. One phase of this work dealt with experi- 

 ments and observations on the reaction of various cotton varieties 



