5 
‘¢sharp-shooter,” a leaf-hopper scientifically known as Homalodisca 
coagulata. The figure was omitted from the last two circulars 
since it was found that illiterate persons looking at the circular 
believed that the figure represented the true weevil. Moreover, a 
growing and more definite acquaintance with the true weevil rend- 
ered mistakes much less frequent. The present year, however, there 
has been an extraordinary abundance of an acorn weevil which has 
flown to the lights in Victoria, Cuero, Beeville, Goliad, and many 
other towns to the north. These occurrences began in September 
with the first ‘‘norther,” the weevils swarming in the open houses 
at light in the evening. They were universally thought to be the 
cotton weevil and created much alarm. Specimens were sent by a 
number of different correspondents to this office, among them a very 
great number which were collected. by the Hon. J. D. Mitchell, at 
Victoria, in some experiments which he was making with a trap- 
lantern during that month. Mr. Townsend was able to allay the 
alarm toa considerable extent. The mistake was by no means a 
bad one, since the acorn weevil bears a strong superficial resemblance 
to the Mexican cotton boll weevil. It is a somewhat larger insect, 
however, and has a longer and thinner beak. 
MACHINES FOR THE DESTRUCTION OF THE INSECT. 
In Circular 18 we mentioned a machine invented by Mr. Stronhall, 
of Beeville, antl which was intended to jar the affected squares and 
blossoms from young cotton plants and to collect them at the same 
time. Mr. Stronhall has been working upon this machine during the 
summer, and is now endeavoring to perfect it so as to crush the wee- 
vil between rollers when collected. He is also endeavoring to render 
it less expensive in price. Mr. Townsend was told that this gentle- 
man himself used his old machine on his plantations 12 miles south 
of Beeville and secured one-half bale to the acre, also getting some 
top crop. 
Another machine, for the distribution of dry poison, has been pat- 
ented by Mr. Richter, of Moravia. This machine, which Mr. Town- 
send saw in operation, and of which he has sent the writer photo- 
graphs, is well adapted to its purpose, and Mr. Townsend writes is 
very successful as a distributor of dry dust. Whether it can be used 
to advantage against the weevil is yet a question in our minds, but 
it will be an excellent machine to use against the cotton caterpillar. 
The machine is drawn by a pair of horses, straddling a row and dust- 
ing three to five rows of cotton at once. The horses must be driven 
at a smart trot so as to blow the poison out rapidly. Ten acres can 
be dusted in an hour with poison for the cotton worm. 
THE VALUE OF DOMESTIC FOWLS AS DESTROYERS OF THE WEEVIL. 
Weare indebted to Mr. F. M. Howard, county clerk of Bee County, 
living at Beeville, for an interesting account of the incidental value 
of keeping turkeys. He writes that he found one farmer who during 
last winter had put 100 turkeys on his farm, had planted 75 acres, 
and made 26 bales, and was not troubled with the weevil during the 
