10 THE BOLL WEEVIL PROBLEM. 
given particular attention. Almost invariably successful crops have 
been produced, although special damage, due to local conditions in 
different regions, has sometimes interfered with the success of the 
experiments. The present bulletin contains a very condensed report 
of the results of all this work. The recommendations have all been 
placed in practical operation under the actual conditions prevailing 
on different cotton plantations. 
Aside from the work directly relating to the boll weevil, which has 
been conducted by the Bureau of Entomology, the Bureau of Plant 
Industry of this Department has carried on investigations in its 
province. These have dealt with the breeding of cottons to obtain 
earliness and productiveness and with the extensive demonstration 
of the ‘ficiency of the system of control devised by the Bureau of 
Entomology as the result of 
careful studies in the field and 
laboratory. 
In addition to the work done 
by the Department of Agricul- 
ture the States concerned have 
done their part. Several ento- 
mologists have been employed by 
the State of Texas, namely, F. 
W. Mally, E. D. Sanderson, 
A. F. Conradi, and C. E. San- 
born. They have dealt with the 
boll weevil in connection with 
Fic. 2.—Cotton boll weevil: a, Beetle, 
from above; 0, same, from side. About k 
five times natural size. (Author’s illustra- the numerous other entomologi- 
Sap cal problems of the State and. 
have contributed valuable results that have been made use of in this 
bulletin. The State of Louisiana has also done very notable work. 
Prof. H. A. Morgan and, later, Mr. Wilmon Newell, have added 
considerably to our knowledge of the weevil and the means of con- 
trolling it. In many ways their results are incorporated in this 
bulletin. 
DESCRIPTION AND LIFE HISTORY OF THE BOLL WEEVIL. — 
The adult boll weevil is about one-fourth of an inch in length, 
rarving from one-eighth to one-third of an inch, with a breadth about 
one-third of the length. This measurement includes the snout, which 
is about one-half the length of the body. Variation in size is due to 
the amount of food the insect has obtained in the larval stage. In- 
dividuals from bolls are therefore nearly always larger than those 
from squares. The color (grayish or brownish) depends upon the 
time that may have elapsed after transformation to the adult 
stage. The recently emerged individuals are light yellowish in 
512 
