The Boll-Weevil Problem. 21 
PROCURING AN EARLY CROP OF COTTON. 
The foregoing facts relative to the life history, hibernation, 
emergence, and multiplication of the weevil show very plainly the 
importance of producing the cotton crop just as early in the season 
as possible. In reality the production of cotton in the presence of 
weevils is nothing more or less than a race between the setting of 
bolls on the plant and the multiplication of the weevils, and every- 
thing possible should be done to aid the cotton plants in winning this 
race. The following are some of the more important steps which 
may be taken. 
EARLY REMOVAL OF PLANTS AND PREPARATION OF LAND. 
The first step in procuring an early crop is the early removal of 
the plants, so that the land may be plowed during the fall and winter 
and the seed bed thoroughly prepared. Just how much can be done 
is of course a problem for the individual farmer to determine and 
depends largely upon labor and weather conditions, but the impor- 
tance of a well-prepared, solid seed bed can hardly be overestimated. 
Furthermore, unfavorable weather conditions shortly before planting 
often prevent plowing at that time, and early preparation does away 
with this risk. 
USE OF EARLY VARIETIES OF COTTON. 
One of the most important steps which have been taken to reduce 
the weevil damage has been the development and introduction of 
varieties of cotton which mature their crops earlier in the season 
than those varieties which were planted before the weevil invasion. 
The variety to be planted in order to obtain a profitable crop under 
weevil conditions will depend upon a number of factors as well as 
on the severity of the infestation. The soil, climate, and other 
factors must be considered. In many localities it is extremely im- 
portant to select varieties which are resistant to diseases. The first 
effect of the boll weevil invasion was to force the abandonment of the 
longer staple and large-boll varieties of cotton and the adoption of 
small-boll, early varieties of very short staple, such as King and 
its derivative, Simpkins. During recent years, however, numerous 
other varieties have been developed to the point where they are 
sufficiently early to mature a crop in the presence of the weevil, and 
these are being rapidly adopted. The Triumph variety is one of the 
best known for the western portion of the infested territory. Among 
the others which have been cultivated with success in various localities 
are Cleveland Big Boll, Cook’s Improved, Rowden, Toole, Brown, 
Lone Star, Trice, and Columbia. 
The long-staple cotton situation is particularly interesting. The 
Upland long staples, which were cultivated when the weevil arrived, 
