LETTERS OF SUBMITTAL 



Department of Agriculture, 



Office of the Secretary, 



Washington, February 8, 1912. 

 To the President of the United States. 



Mr. President: I have the honor to submit herewith, for your 

 information and that of the Congress of the United States, a bulletin 

 entitled "The Mexican Cotton-boll Weevil: A Summary of the 

 Results of the Investigation of tins Insect up to December 31, 1911," 

 by Messrs. W. D. Hunter and W. D. Pierce of this department. 

 This is an elaboration of a bulletin published in 1905 and of which a 

 special edition was ordered by Congress. Since that date the weevil 

 has spread throughout the State of Louisiana and has entered the 

 States of Arkansas, Mississippi, and Alabama, and threatens to spread 

 throughout the entire cotton-growing area east of the arid regions. 

 In the course of tins eastward and northward spread, new conditions 

 have been encountered; the habits and life history of the weevil have 

 undergone some change, and it has met with new parasites and 

 natural enemies. There is a great demand among the cotton planters 

 of this country and among those dependent upon the cotton-planting 

 industry for the information contained in this bulletin, and, in view 

 of this fact, I respectfully recommend that this report be transmitted 

 to Congress, together with the maps, illustrations and diagrams 

 accompanying it, to be printed by order of Congress; and I further 

 recommend that not less than 10,000 copies be printed for the use 

 of this department, in addition to such number as Congress may 

 order for the use of its Members. 



I have the honor to remain, Mr. President, 

 Very respectfully, 



James Wilson, Secretary. 



Department of Agriculture. 



Bureau of Entomology, 

 Washington, D. C, January, 1912. 

 Sir: I have the honor to transmit herewith and to recommend 

 for publication a manuscript entitled "The Mexican Cotton-boll 

 Weevil: A Summary of the Results of the Investigation of this 

 Insect up to December 31, 1911," prepared by Messrs. W. D. Hun- 

 ter and W. D. Pierce, of tins bureau. 



This manuscript contains in the briefest possible space an account 

 of the exhaustive investigations of the Mexican cotton-boll weevil 

 which have been conducted by this bureau for some years past. The 

 last comprehensive bulletin on this subject was issued in 1905 and 

 is now far out of date. There is urgent demand for information on 

 this important pest, and this demand will undoubtedly continue as 

 the insect invades new regions. 



Respectfully, L. 0. Howard, 



Entomologist and Chief of Bureau. 

 Hon. James Wilson, 



Secretary of Agriculture. 



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