15 



mature earlj^, or at least obtain seed from as far north as possible. It 

 is much better to run the risk of replanting, which is not an expensive 

 operation, than to have the crop delayed. The practice of some 

 planters of making two plantings to avoid having all the work of 

 chopping thrown into a short period is a very bad policy from the 

 boll weevil standpoint. Taking a series of years into consideration, 

 it will not be found too early to plant cotton in the latitude of Hous- 

 ton and southward by the 25th of February; in the Brazos Valley, as 

 far north as AVaco, by the first week in March; and at no place in 

 northern Texas later than about the 20th of March. 



II. Cultivate the fields thoroughl3^ The principal benefit in this 

 comes from the influence that such a practice has upon the constant 

 gi'owth and consequent early maturity of the crop. Ver}^ few weevils 

 are killed by cultivation. Much of the benefit of early planting is lost 

 unless it is followed by thorough cultivation. In case of unavoidably 

 dela}' ed planting the best hope of the planter is to cultivate the field 

 in the most thorough manner possible. Three choppings and five 

 plowings constitute as thorough a system of cultivation as is necessary, 

 in most cases. 



III. Destroj^, by plowing up, windrowing, and burning, all the cotton 

 stalks in the fields -not later than the first week in October. In some 

 cases turning cattle into the fields is advisable. Aside from amount- 

 ing to practical destruction of the plants, grazing of the cotton fields 

 furnishes considerable forage at a time when it is generally much in 

 demand. 



IV. Plant the rows as far apart as experience with the land indicates 

 is feasible and thin out the plants in the rows thoroughly. 



In addition to these specific recommendations it may be stated that 

 anything that can be done in the way of protecting birds, like the 

 quail, which are known to feed upon the weevil, will undoubtedly 

 be of advantaoe. 



