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the Insect in injurious numbers for one or two generations, even if thej* 

 will not prevent an undue multiplication of the species. These measures 

 are directed against the over-wintered weevils and the larva-- of the first 

 generation, since where the insect has once become numerous nothing 

 can be done to save the crop from practical destruction. 



We have noticed that the weevils first appear in spring among 

 clusters of young squares on the most advanced cotton plants. This 

 suggests the possibility of trapping these earliest beetles by means of 

 a very few cotton plants especially grown for this purpose. These 

 plants must be grown at convenient points, must be protected from 

 frost, and forced by watering, so that they will branch out and acquire 

 buds even in advance of the volunteer cotton. The weevils which issue 

 from hibernating quarters on the first warm days will be attracted to 

 these plants at once, and can be easily collected and killed, if the plants 

 are examined daily until the cotton in the fields has become of some 

 size. It is not likely that this plan will appeal to the average cotton 

 planter, but we are convinced that much good can be done bj* its gen- 

 eral adoption. 



The fact that the spring generation develops only upon volunteer 

 cotton has suggested the possibility^ that the insect will not spread 

 beyond the region where volunteer cotton will grow in spring, but 

 unfortunately this possibility is by no means absolutely to be relied 

 upon. Nevertheless, the destruction of such volunteer plants as come 

 up in corn fields and in abandoned fields which, the previous yeai'. 

 were planted to (-otton, can not be too strongly- recommended, for it is 

 a matter of observation that the shade afforded by the corn or the rank- 

 growing weeds which come up in abandoned fields is especiallj' favor- 

 able to the development of the weevils. 



While the plants are young, and where labor is as cheap as it is in 

 south Texas, a great deal of good can be accomplished by picking and 

 burning the fallen squares, and if this is done promptly a large number 

 of the insects will be destroyed. It should be done at least twice, at 

 intervals of three weeks, during the period while the plants are small. 

 As soon as the plants begin to branch out, however, this method becomes 

 impracticable, on account of the difficulty of finding the squares on the 

 ground. 



The idea of picking the affected bolls during the cotton jjicking was 

 suggested in the first edition of the circular. It was thought that the 

 affected bolls could be so readily recognized that many thousands of 

 the insects could be destroyed by the cotton pickers by picking these 

 affected bolls and carrj'ing them away in a separate receptacle to be 

 burned. The amount of extra labor involved in this operation, how- 

 ever, would be very considerable, and the affected bolls in man}' 

 instances are not to be recognized at a glance. 



These measures, aside from the last one. together with early planting 

 and clean cultivation, comprise all that can be done to save the crop of 

 1896. It is obvious, however, that no general adoption of these simple 

 measures will be brought about this year, and that the probabilities 

 are strong that the insect will be quite as injurious as in 1895, if not 

 more so. A good first crop will probably be secured if the climatic 

 conditions are favorable, but the top crop is sure to be destroyed b.v the 

 weevils. This destruction, judging from the experience of the past two 

 years, will probably take place in September in most of the localities 

 where the weevils were present in 1895, and at this time the prospective 

 loss of the top crop will at once become evident from the absence of 

 bloom. 



