ley. All this demonstrates that the planters in regions recently invaded 

 by the weevil must resort to every means of control that is known and 

 must utilize to the fullest extent such methods as the Texas farmers 

 may not have been compelled to practice. 



The all-important step in the control of the weevil is the destruction 

 of millions of individuals and the prevention of the development of 

 raanj' more by uprooting and burning the cotton plants in the fall. 

 This is a step that indications show clearly is going to be indispensable 

 in the Mississippi Valley. In the light of what is now known it would 

 be folly for planters to attempt to produce cotton unless they follow 

 this practice religiously. If, for any reason, the cotton plants have not 

 been removed in the fall, some good can be accomplished by their 

 removal later in the season. The proper thing to be done by the 

 planter who desires to reduce weevil damage to the minimum is to 

 combine the fall destruction of the plants with such measures, to be 

 taken later in the season, as are outlined in this circular. The advice 

 now given is not to depend upon tvinter icork altogether for the control 

 of the weevil. The winter ivorJc is merely a second step, to be taken in 

 connection with the destruction of the u-eevils and the prevention of the 

 maturity of the fall broods by uprooting and burning the plants. Where 

 that step has not been taken, the work outlined in this circular is the 

 main dependence of the planters at this time. 



WHERE WEEVILS ARE TO BE FOUND DURING THE WINTER. 



The whole question of what can be done to destroy the weevils in 

 the winter depends upon where they are to be found. The Bureau of 

 Entomology has taken pains to determine the localities in which the 

 weevils secrete themselves during the winter months. Some weevils 

 fly outside of the cotton fields into the timber before frost has killed the 

 cotton. Of course, such individuals as fly great distances from the 

 cotton flelds, or into heavy timber, are entirely beyond the reach of the 

 planter. The remainder of the weevils, however — those remaining in 

 and about the cotton fields — are more or less at the mercy of the 

 planter for several months during the winter. 



In cotton fields and in their immediate vicinity weevils have been 

 found hibernating in four principal situations: First, in burrs and un- 

 opened bolls on the plants; second, in bolls or portions of bolls that 

 have been knocked to the ground ; third, under such trash as leaves 

 and grass abounding in most cotton fields ; fourth, in the cracks in the 

 ground caused by drying. 



The numbers of weevils found in the situations just mentioned show 

 clearly what opportunities the farmer has for their destruction. On 

 January 16, 1907, a field near Wolfe City, Tex., showed from 363 to 

 1,500 live weevils per acre in the burrs still hanging to the plants. 

 These were generally in the partly opened locks where weevils had 

 matured in the fall, but some were in locks from which all of the cotton 

 had been removed. On January 27, 1907, as many as 2,250 Aveevils 

 per acre were found on the ground in a cotton field near Dallas, Tex. 

 The number was determined by raking all of the trash carefully from a 

 square rod of ground and examining it in the laboratory. On Decem- 

 ber 18 living weevils at the rate of 1,056 per acre were found at Dallas. 

 On January 16 320 living weevils per acre were found in burrs and 

 under leaves and grass in a cotton field at Victoria, Tex. On Novem- 



A6 81 



