of the weevil inevitable. Of first importance is the early removal of the old 

 cotton in the fall, preferably in November or earlier. This can be done by throw- 

 ing out the old plants with a plow, root and ail, and afterwards raking them 

 together and burning them. This treatment should be followed, as promptly as 

 may be, by deep plowing, say to a depth of 6 or 8 inches. This leaves the field 

 comparatively clean of old cotton stalks, facilitates thorough cultivation the 

 following year, and, at the same time, collects and destroys all the weevil larvae 

 and pupfe in the cotton at the time, and also most of the adults. The escaping 

 beetles will be buried by deep plowing, and will not again reach the surface. 

 Few, if any, of them will succeed in hibernating in the absence of the ordinary 

 rubbish in the fields in which they winter. Fields treated in this way have given 

 a practical demonstration of the usefulness of the method. 



The greatest danger from the weevil is due to the presence of volunteer cotton, 

 which means early food for the weevils in the spring and abundant means for 

 their overwintering, and the effort made to retain volunteer and get early cot- 

 ton, or the "first bale," is a very serious menace to cotton culture within the 

 weevil district. 



This cultural method, if generally practiced, will undoubtedly prove a perfect 

 remedy for upland cotton, and will vastly reduce weevil damage in the lowlands, 

 where the weevil is more apt to winter, perhaps in adjoining woods or roadside 

 vegetation. The early removal of cotton by the means suggested is especially 

 advised whenever the presence of the weevil shows that the picking of a top 

 crop is problematical. In such instances it would be well to uproot and destroy 

 cotton stalks in September or October, as would have been thoroughly feasible 

 for much of the upland cotton in 1896. If this cultural method can be enforced, 

 either by State legislation or by the cooperation and insistence on the part of 

 landowners that their renters shall carry out the system outlined, the weevil 

 difficulty can undoubtedly in very large measure be overcome. 



In connection with the sj'stem of fall treatment of the cotton, constant and 

 thorough cultivation of the growing crop as late as possible is of considerable 

 value, and is also what should be done to insure a good yield. With a crossbar 

 to brush the plants many of the blossoms and squares containing weevils will be 

 jarred to the ground and buried, together with those already on the ground, in 

 moist soil, and a large percentage of the material will rot before the contained 

 insects have developed. 



Somewhat in line with the last paragraph is the collection and 

 destruction of the infested bolls and weevils from the plants themselves. 

 A complex machine has been devised for this purpose by Mr. Stron- 

 hall, of Beeville, Tex. In operation this apparatus passes over one 

 row at a time and brushes the plants from both directions vigorously 

 by means of revolving brushes working in opposite directions, and 

 the stung bolls and squares which fall readily are caught on receiving 

 trays and carried to bags and may be ultimately burned or otherwise 

 destroyed. The machine may be adjusted to plants of different ages 

 within certain limits, but becomes less effective as the plants get 

 larger. As witnessed in operation the present season by Mr. Town- 

 send, it proved, on young plants, to be very effective and satisfactory, 

 collecting a large percentage of the weevils and the stung bolls and 



