14 



examinations were made daily for eleven daj^s, but only a single wee- 

 vil was found on the meal, and that one seemed to be merel}'' seeking 

 the protection of the sack. During the eleven days many weevils were 

 caught and placed upon the sacks of meal, but in no case were they 

 found there the next day. It is difficult to see how a more forcible 

 demonstration of the futilit\'^ of cotton-seed meal as an attractant for 

 the weevils could be presented. 



EGYPTIAN COTTON AND THE BOLL WEEVIL. 



Peculiar circumstances surrounding one of the Department's experi- 

 mental fields of Egyptian cotton at San Antonio gave rise during the 

 past season to a belief that such cotton is exempt from injury b}^ the 

 boll weevil. Unfortunatcl}^ this mistaken idea was in some way 

 accredited to the agents of this Department. The resulting interest 

 is still manifested in frequent letters received from planters regarding 

 the obtaining of " immune Egyptian seed." 



As a matter of fact, numerous observations made during 1901 and 

 1902 on several varieties of Egyptian cotton growing at different places, 

 show that they are particularly susceptible to damage by the boll 

 weevil. In fact they are much more likely to be injured than the 

 ordinary varieties of American upland cotton. The tendency of the 

 varieties of Egyptian cotton observed, including Mitafifi and Janno • 

 vitch, is to grow a very large stalk. Absence of irrigation does not 

 appreciably modify this tendenc}'^. Egj^ptian cotton is therefore 

 invariabl}^ late in maturing, setting no bottom crop. Late cotton, 

 wherever grown, is certain to be injured by the weevil. There is 

 nothing in the plant distasteful to the insect, which in Mexico has been 

 found working in tree cotton and in Texas in sea-island cotton, both 

 as far removed botanically from American upland as is Egyptian. In 

 the field at San Antonio by the middle of September the pests had 

 increased to such an extent that every square was punctured, and the 

 consequent absence of the preferred places for oviposition had driven 

 them to many bolls that had previously given promise of developing. 

 A few volunteer American upland plants growing among the Egj-ptian 

 ones, though only 3^ feet in height, produced more of the staple per 

 plant than did the surrounding Egyptian plants 5i feet high. 



SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS. 



The work of the Division of Entomology for several years has led 

 to the recommendations which follow. It has been demonstrated in 

 the experimental fields of the Department and by the experience of 

 many cotton planters that by using these simple means a profitable 

 crop can be produced in any situation where the boll weevil occurs: 



I. Plant e?iY\y. Plant, if possible, the seed of the varieties known to 



