108 ASSOCIATION OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGISTS. 



US. Thus we are aware that in the future the cuHural system will be 

 the main reliance in the cultivation of cotton in Texas. 



The first recommendation in the cultural system is early planting. 

 Early maturing varieties should be obtained from territory unin- 

 fested by the weevil. The value of this recommendation is fully 

 recognized and can be carried out in normal seasons in Texas. Last 

 season, however, a great part of the cotton was planted late on 

 account of the prolonged wet weather during the late winter and 

 spring. The department of entomology of the Texas experiment 

 ^^tations planted its cotton on March 18. The weather was open 

 for four successive days, and a considerable amount of cotton could 

 have been pUinted over the State if the seed bed had been previously 

 prepared. As it was, however, many farmers had to plow. It is 

 thoroughly advisable that cotton be planted at such intervals of 

 good weather in the rainy season, but the seed bed must first be 

 prejjared properly. The writer had an experience during the past 

 season with the experiment station cotton referred to above that 

 fully convinced him of the value of this recommendation. The 

 seed bed had been flat-broken in winter and was in excellent con- 

 dition at planting time. AVithout ridging the seed bed the cotton 

 was planted. On March 21 another prolonged wet season set in 

 and one-half of the cotton washed away. The other half germi- 

 nated, and in spite of the prolonged saturation of the atmosphere 

 and soil held its own, and when the weather cleared, about April 2, 

 made rapid i^rogress and was squaring April 18, the first lock 

 opening July 15. As a rule, all cotton made in the locality of Col- 

 lege Station should be made July 15 — that is to say, any squares 

 forming after July 15 stand a poor chance for making bolls in a 

 weevil year. 



The cultivation of this cotton was shallow, but repeated every ten 

 days. This operation served as a mulch. It requires less labor than 

 the deep furrowing by the middle busters, and was a better moisture 

 conserver on account of the fact that the smallest possible surface was 

 (exposed to the drying action of the sun and wind. 



FALL UESTKUCTION OF COTTON STALKS. 



During three successive seasons we have closely watched the hiber- 

 nation of the boll weevil. These observations w^ere made during the 

 fall, and checks were ke])t in cages. In the fall of 1903 the Aveevil 

 went into hibernation, beginning November 17 at College Station. 

 This was the night of the first heavy frost. In 1901 hibernation 

 began November 7, following the night of the first heavy frost. 

 During the fall of 1905 the entering into hibernation ditfered from 

 those of 1904 and 1903 in that it was gradual and not so abrupt as in 



