4 Farmers’ Bulletin 1275. 
have forced farmers of many sections—as in the coastal regions of the 
Middle Atlantic States—to discontinue the production on a commer- 
cial scale of this valuable 
food, crep and to turn their 
attention to other crops. The 
cowpea is now recognized as 
one of the most. valuable cover 
crops for enriching the soil of 
the Southern States, and agri- 
culturists claim that one of 
the drawbacks to its more 
general use for this purpose 
and for fodder is the suscepti- 
bility .of cowpea seed _ to 
weevil attack. The cowpea 
weevils are the worst pests of 
cowpea seed. They are a big 
factor in maintaining, in 
years of normal production, 
the high cost of seed, and in 
the consequent curtailment of 
the use of this plant as a soil 
builder. These weevils, also, 
because of the rapidity with 
which they destroy cowpeas 
grown for human consump- 
tion, have caused seedsmen 
and merchants to view with 
suspicion cowpeas grown in 
certain sections of the South, 
and this attitude has had a 
depressing effect upon the 
production of cowpeas for 
food. Yet the South is a 
veritable Eldorado for the 
Fig. 1.—Navy beans showing the emergence . 4 
holes of weevils, Each of these holes is production of leguminous 
made by a weevil as it matures in the crops for food once weevils 
seed and leaves by cutting out a _ piece 
of the skin. All except the five small beans are controlled. It is evident, 
at the bottom have been injured by the com- therefore that bean and pea 
mon bean weevil. The five small~ beans ; ? 
were grown in Central America and are in- ; weevils should be charged not 
fested by the Mexican bean weevil. About 
; only with the damage they 
natural size. ? iS fe 
cause leguminous foods actu- 
ally produced but also with the indirect losses to the country due 
to the reduction in the areas planted to beans, peas, and cowpeas. 
