303 



There has been a gin at Alice for three years and one at San Diego 

 five years. As soon as the latter went np more or less cotton came 

 overland, in the seed from parts, especially more northerly parts, of the 

 Brownsville region to be ginned, ox-carting- direct to San Diego being 

 mncli cheaper tlian carting to Brownsville, and then sending by train, 

 lighter, and steamer to New Orleans. Now, it has already been pointed 

 ont that in many instances the weevils may be gathered in the picking 

 of the cotton, in case the seed alone has been eaten out and the fiber 

 not injured, when the boll is not i)revented from bursting. This cotton 

 being shipped in the seed during 1890 and 1891 to San Diego, and more 

 or less since then to Alice,* has resulted in introducing the weevils 

 into that region, from which they have since easily spread through 

 contignous fields over the whole x'egion now infested. 



The regular daily stage each way between Alice and Brownsville has 

 been running since July, 1893. From 1868 to 1870 (about) a stage was 

 run from Brownsville to San Diego. These stages, of course, carried no 

 freight. Freighting was formerly carried on by means of ox teams and 

 carts between Brownsville and San Antonio, via San Diego. Such 

 freighting is probably nearly abandoned now, but may be carried on to 

 some extent as far as San Diego or Alice. It is said that cotton seed 

 was carried on the road by these freighters for the jnirpose of feeding 

 the oxen. A stage also runs from Rio Grande City to Pena. 



AMOUNT OF DAMAGE CAUSED BY IT IN TEXAS. 



During the year 1894 in the Brownsville region (San Toinas) the 

 loss of crop was estimated at over 90 per cent. In the San Diego region 

 the loss was about 90 per cent. At La Rosita, 12 to 18 miles west of 

 San Diego, the damage was estimated to be something over 7~> per cent. 

 At Rosita, on the Nueces, about 15 miles below Sharpsburg, 90 per 

 cent of the crop was destroyed. At Sharpsburg fields amounting to 

 6,000 acres yielded not over 1,500 bales. In Bee County 50 per cent 

 or over of the whole crop of the county was estimated as destroyed. 

 In a field of 1,200 acres about 30 miles south of Beeville the weevil 

 was very bad in all but about 50 acres, which produced fine cotton, 

 while the rest was badly damaged. At Pearsall damage to cotton 

 crop was estimated at 25 to 50 per cent, but it is not yet known whether 

 this was the weevil or the boll worm. 



In previous years at Brownsville, Mr. Stark, jr., infbrmed me, the 

 weevil was worst in 1892, the entire crop having been destroyed by it 

 in that year. In 1893 it was not noticed to cause much damage. At 

 La Nona it was reported to have ruined the whole crop in 1892, two 

 mdes east of there. On Mr. Delamer's place of 300 acres, twenty 



"A competing liac of railroad from t^kidmore to Alice makes cheaper freight rates 

 on the lint cotton east from Alice than from San Diego, which is farther west. 

 Therefore as soon as a giu went up in Alice cotton for ginning went there lu prefer- 

 ence to San Diego — C. H. T. T. 



