WORK OF LOUISIANA CROP PEST COMMISSION. IIU 



details are shown in their correct position upon the chart, and the 

 worker has simj)ly to ink them in as he sees them. No other appa- 

 ratus is positively reqidr^'d beside the ordinary hand camera. Either 

 daylight or strong artificial light may be used. Of course, in this 

 work a positive image such as is used in a lantern slide is desirable, 

 but if not at hand the negative aaIII serve to give all outlines, and the 

 positive image may be filled in much more easily and accurately than 

 the average worker could do by making a freehand enlargement from 

 a print or object. (See PI. Ill, fig. 8.) With some such arrange- 

 ment as I have outlined a man does not need to be an artist to secure a 

 fairly good chart of any subject that he can photograph. 



THE WORK OF THE STATE CROP PEST COMMISSION OF LOUISIANA 

 ON THE COTTON BOLL WEEVIL. 



By WiLMON Newell, ^Slircvcport. La. 



The work of the State Crop Pest Commission of Louisiana, in the 

 campaign against the cotton boll weevil, is being conducted along 

 three rather distinct lines: (1) Preventing, so far as possible, the 

 spread of the boll Aveevil to ncAV territory; (2) reducing the weevil 

 damage in the area already infested, by disseminating information 

 regarding the cultural methods to be employed in producing profit- 

 able crops of cotton in defiance of the weevil, and by exj^erimental 

 and demonstration work with the cultural methods upon different 

 soils and under different conditions; (3) investigating and dissemi- 

 nating information regarding insects* other than the boll weevil, in 

 order that the production of crops other than cotton may be rendered 

 more profitable than heretofore and the adoj^tion of a diversified sys- 

 tem of farming be encouraged among the farmers in the weevil- 

 infested territory. 



Before proceeding with a discussion of any one of these three lines 

 of work, a brief resume of the boll weeviTs progress through the State 

 of Louisiana up to the present time will be advisable in order that the 

 problems with which the Commission has had to deal may be more 

 clearly understood. 



The boll weevil first reached Louisiana in 1903. In all proba- 

 bility the 1903 infestation 'svas by a migratory flight, although some 

 little evidence that the insect w^as introduced in other ways is not 

 entirely wanting. The territory which was know^i to be infested 

 in the fall of 1903 is show^i upon the map in figure 3, the infested 

 district comprising a comparatively small area in the western por- 

 tion of Sabine Parish. 



No diminution of the infested area w^as noticeable as the result of 

 the climatic conditions prevailing during the winter of 1903-1904. 



