15 



ordinaiy attention. The accompanying plan (fig. 2) will illustrate 

 the method of one cf these experiments located near Austin upon the 

 plantation of Mr. Jefferson Johnson. The field contained 100 acres 

 and was divided into 16 blocks containing 6i acres each, separated by 

 rows of Milo maize to avoid confusion in picking. 



It will be seen that a typical early variety, the King, is contrasted 

 with the ordinar}^ cotton of the region. Each one of the plats of the 

 King cotton serves as a check upon each of the plats of that variety 

 as well as upon a plat of the same size of native cotton treated in 

 exactly the same manner. It thus becomes possible to estimate with 

 reasonable accuracy the effect of select seed, early planting, wide 

 rows, and thorough cultivation. 



The work of the Division of Entomology during the season of 1902 

 demonstrated that it is possible to produce cotton profitably in spite 

 of the boll weevil; the work of the season of 1903 showed this again 

 under different conditions of climate and soil on a larger scale, and in 

 addition furnished practical demonstrations of the success of the 

 recommendations of the Division to planters at six different points in 

 the State. For example, in a 25-acre experimental field located at 

 Wharton a bale to the acre was picked. This experiment was per- 

 formed upon land that had been in cotton continuously for five j^ears, 

 and the weevil had been present in the neighborhood for eight years. 

 As the average crop of cotton in the United States has been 1 bale 

 to 2.3 acres, and as the average production the present year in 

 Wharton County was probabl}^ in the neighborhood of 1 bale to 7 

 or 8 acres, this experiment was naturally of considerable importance 

 as a demonstration to the people of that region. 



As will always be the case in formulating a plan for avoiding dam- 

 age by an insect, the basis for what are now known as the cultural 

 methods of combating the boll weevil was the result of careful studies 

 of its life histor}" and habits. In the hope of discovering points 

 hitherto unnoticed that might be of use in fighting the pest, the 

 investigation of ever}^ feature of the life history of the weevil was 

 continued in the laboratory at Victoria. The observations and experi- 

 ments made here during the season of 1903, as well as the season of 

 1902, will result in the publication in the near future of an account of 

 the biologv of the weevil at least as complete, it is believed, as that of 

 any North American species. At the same time many tests of poisons 

 and spraying mixtures were made in the laborator}^ whenever samples 

 of the various compounds that had been widely advertised in Texas 

 could be obtained. As would be supposed, none of these preparations 

 were found to be effective, and reports to that effect made to corre- 

 spondents doubtless prevented some useless expenditure of money. 



The cooperation with the commission of the Mexican Government 



189 



