April, '19] HUNTER: PINK BOLLWORM WORK 173 



must have been influential in reducing the pest was the establishment 

 of a non-cotton zone. It is true that there were 1,700 acres planted 

 in this zone, but that was a small amount in comparison with 50,000 

 acres which would otherwise have been planted. Moreover it happened 

 that practically all of the fields planted in cotton in violation of law 

 were on land which was not in cotton during the preceding year, 

 and there was no cotton whatever planted in the districts where the 

 heaviest infestations were found. There the non-cotton zone was 

 absolute. Some specimens which may have escaped both the cleaning 

 of the fields and the vicissitudes of the winter may have appeared. 

 If this was the case, the chances are that they were in the localities 

 where there was no cotton, and their chances of propagating were 

 ehminated or practically eliminated. 



Observations made in India, Egypt and Brazil show that the pink 

 bollworm, under certain conditions, may propagate in plants other 

 than cotton. These include okra, Indian hemp, hollj^hock and related 

 plants. In so far as okra and hollyhock are concerned, these observa- 

 tions have been confirmed by investigations made recently in Mexico 

 by Mr. August Busck and his associates. In Texas, in addition to 

 okra which is very commonly grown, there are four species of Hibiscus 

 even more closely related to cotton than okra, which might support 

 the pink bollworm. These wild plants grow in large colonies, and are 

 of very general occurrence. The inspections made during the season 

 in the non-cotton zone have included the minute examination of many 

 thousands of these plants. In cases all of the seed pods on large groups 

 of these plants growing in the vicinity of pink bollworm infestations of 

 the year before were examined with negative results. 



The Outlook 



Despite the encouraging outlook, it is not assumed that the pink 

 bollworm has been eradicated in the United States. The situation is 

 such, however, that it has been decided to allow the planting of cotton 

 in the non-cotton zone in the southeastern part of the state during the 

 coming season under regulations as to the scotl planted, as to the 

 handling of the crop, the cleaning of the fields and the destruction of 

 growing crops found infested without compensation, as will enable the 

 agencies cooperating to take early and radical stops, if necessary. 

 The fcasibiUty of safeguarding the cotton products produced in the 

 territory has been proven by what was done with reference to the crop 

 of 1017 and tlic outlaw crop of 1918. Certainly if the infestation has 

 not been eliminated altogctiier it is much less tiian it was in previous 

 years, and the risk, if there is any, to be carried in connection with the 



