236 JOURNAL OP ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY [Vol. 1 



are so interdependent that securing the full benefit from any one of 

 them involves the adoption of many of the others. A careful con- 

 sideration of each step, both as to its independent and interdependent 

 effectiveness seems to jiistify the broad general assertion that the 

 early fall destruction of its food-supply — cotton — may reasonably be 

 called, as it has frequently been, "the most important step in the cul- 

 tural system of controlling the weevil." The exhaustive studies 

 which have been made by the field agents of the Bureau on all phases 

 of the life and seasonal histories and upon natural and artificial con- 

 trol of the weevil indicate that the few weeks which may intervene 

 between the maturity of the bulk of the crop and the time that is most 

 favorable for the weevils to enter hibernation constitutes the strat- 

 egic period for largely reducing the number of weevils which may 

 survive hibernation and attack the crop of the following season. The 

 application of all other steps in the sy.stem recommended is designed 

 primarily and ultimately to render this period as long as possible and 

 to thereby increase the practical possibility of the general adoption 

 of this step as the final and most important thing in the work of each 

 season, and thus open the way for the most successful results with the 

 culture of a cotton crop with the minimum of Aveevil injury during 

 the following year. 



The most convincing experiments showing definitely the possibil- 

 ities of and urgent necessity for the adoption of this plan and also a 

 large-scale field demon.stration of the great, practical benefit obtain- 

 able in a community by its general adoption, have been accom- 

 plished during the past year. A full account of the experimental 

 work is being published by the Bureau of Entomology under the title 

 of "Hibernation of the Cotton Boll Weevil" by Mr. W. W. Yothers 

 and the writer. 



Having given but a very brief and partial vicAv of the general prob- 

 lem which the presence of the boll weevil inevitably presents and of 

 the general results of the investigation to secure feasible methods of 

 control, the writer would add a brief summary of the data which 

 support the conclusions stated as to the essential value of .stalk de- 

 struction. For the sake of brevity much im])ortant work cannot be 

 mentioned here. The extensive hibernation experiments of 1906- 

 '07 will alone be considered, although mention may ))e made of the 

 general results of other investigations when needed for comparisons. 



Principal Data Indicating the Importance of Stalk Destruction 



Hibernation Work of 1906-*07. — Some knowledge of the general 

 plan and purpose of this work seems essential to a clear understanding 



