94 THE BOLL WEEVIL PROBLEM. 
show the first damage by the weevil and consequently the least pre- 
duction. Of course, it is not always possible to plant other crops in 
such situations. Nevertheless, very frequently farmers can avoid 
damage by devoting the particular fields known to be most susceptible 
to weevil injury to other crops. This is not pointed out as a gencral 
recommendation. In many cases it would be entirely impracticable, 
but its importance should be realized by planters in regions where 
every possible precaution must be taken. 
CROP ROTATION. 
Save in very exceptional cases the boll weevil never does so much 
damage on land where cotton follows some other crop as on land 
where cotton follows cotton. This is due to the fact, as has been 
pointed out, that the weevils do not fly very far from their hibernat- 
ing quarters in the spring. Therefore it is evident that a proper 
rotation of crops may be followed to assist in the fight against the 
boll weevil. As in the case of the location of the fields, referred to 
above, the recommendation here made is no panacea. Nevertheless, 
rotation can be made to assist in fighting the weevil, aside from the 
many other advantages that are known to come from it. 
PROCURING AN EARLY CROP. 
Although the destruction of the weevils in the fall is the great 
essential step in controlling the insect, it can not be depended on 
exclusively. The full benefits of the fall work and the maximum 
crop can not be obtained unless the next great step, procuring an 
early crop, is also taken. In fact, the success of the farmer in pro- 
ducing cotton in regions infested by the boll weevil will depend di- 
rectly upon the extent to which he combines the various methods de- 
scribed in this bulletin. 
There are certain localities where the conditions cause the soil to be 
“late” or “slow.” For instance, the planters on the Red River in 
Louisiana state that they can procure early crops on their “ front” 
land, but that such is difficult or impossible on the fields back from 
the river. This is largely a matter of drainage. In some sections in 
Louisiana and Mississippi the essential step in obtaining an early 
crop will be largely a question of drainage. Lands so situated that 
they can not be drained economically to the extent that allows an 
early crop must be devoted to crops other than cotton. 
The advantage of early planting has been demonstrated in every 
one of the numerous experiments made by the Bureau of Entomology 
and has now become the general practice among farmers. The rea- 
sons for the efficiency of early planting are not far to seek. The 
small numbers of weevils passing through the winter must have con- 
512 
