308 



and Del Rio only — in short, all along the lower Rio Grande on the Texas 

 side for a distance of about 50 miles into- the interior, and in the Del 

 Rio region on, the upper Rio Gra-nde. We- would then have a non- 

 cotton belt on our frontier that would, in conjunction with proper quar- 

 antine regulations, present an insurmountable barrier to new importa- 

 tions of the weevil. More valuable crops than cotton by far could be 

 raised in. all this territory (except perhaps at Del Rio), as there is 

 plenty of water for irrigation, or certainly will be as soon as the two 

 Governments agree on the use of the waters of the Rio Grande for 

 irrigating purposes. 



THE SERIOUS ASPECT OF THE QUESTION, AS IT AFFECTS THE 



COTTON MARKET. 



I estimate that one fifth, or at least one-sixth, of the entire cotton- 

 producing region of Texas is infested with the weevil. The damage 

 this year in the infested region averaged 90 per cent, which is about 

 15 per cent of the entire crop of. the State. If the weevil is not exter- 

 minated or greatly reduced in numbers this winter it will spread over 

 a considerable additional area the coming season. If the conditions 

 for its spread are at all favorable, as they are very apt to be, the new 

 area that will be invaded next season will doubtless equal in extent 

 the area already infested. The damage to the croi^ in such case will 

 range from 75 per cent to over 90 per cent in the whole region infested. 

 Thus, it is extremelyprobabie that, unless some means are speedily 

 taken to prevent, the cotton crop of Texas in 1895 will be reduced by 

 more than 25 per cent. 



These conditions will continue to grow indefinitely worse in succeed- 

 ing years, until cotton raising will have to be abandoned in many 

 districts (as at Monclova, in Mexico), if not in all; and the least un- 

 favorable outlook that can be predicted is that a much greater outlay 

 of expense and labor will be necessary to raise cotton than formerly. 

 At the same time it is true that it will command a much higher pri(3e, 

 but all far-seeing persons will realize that the gain in price can not 

 begin to recompense either the State or the individual planter for the 

 immense decline in production that will ensue. 



CONCERTED ACTION AND COMPULSORY LEGISLATION. 



In. attempting to exterminate the weevil or reduce its numbers to 

 any appreciable extent, the most thoroughly concerted action of all the 

 cotton growers in.the infested regions will be necessary. Every infested 

 field must be treated in the same way, else the weevils will spread from 

 untreated fields and again overrun the whole region. 



Concerted action over a large are;i like this can only be secured by 

 the aid of legislation. Laws should be passed compelling everyone 

 who grew cotton in 1894 in the infested districts to thoroughly treat 

 every one of Ids fields according to the best means that can. be sug- 



