22 



that the weevils did not reach the plats removed from the sorghum 

 until late caused the production in the case of both King- and native 

 cotton to be increased at about the same ratio. 



This experiment demonstrates to what extent weevil damage ma}^ be 

 expected when cotton is planted where conditions have been favorable 

 for hibernation. It explains the fact of greater damage in certain 

 localities that man}^ planters have observed. The obvious conclusion 

 is that cotton should not be planted upon land which was in sorghum 

 the preceding year. In case it is impossible or inexpedient to avoid 

 such planting, the best that can be done would be to plow under the 

 stubble as deepl}'^ as possible earl}^ in the fall. It should be mentioned 

 that sorghum stubble is only an example of many situations favorable 

 for the hibernation of the weevil. Any portion of an}^ crop or weeds 

 or grass left upon the ground not only serves in itself co protect the 

 pest during the winter, but in addition catches debris carried by the 

 winds, and thus causes the protection to be all the more complete. 

 Clean farming, by which is meant the killing of all weeds b}^ thorough 

 cultivation, and the removal of all portions of the crop from the land 

 by burning or plowing under as soon as possible after the time of har- 

 vesting, is nearly as important in the case of a sorghum or corn tield 

 that is to be put in cotton the following season, provided there are cot- 

 ton fields adjoining, as it will be subsequently in the cotton field. 



The foregoing experiment incidentally shows a rather striking supe- 

 riority of an early variety over a late one, even under the most unfa- 

 vorable conditions of lateness of planting and abundance of weevils. 

 The two fields of the earh^ variety together jdelded nearly 35 per cent 

 more cotton than the two fields of the native variet}^ together. 



PROSPECTS. 



The steady extension of the territoiy afi'ected b}- the weevil from 

 year to year, until the northern boundar}" is far north of the center of 

 cotton production in the United States, has convinced all observers 

 that it will eventually be distributed all over the cotton belt. In ten 

 j^ears it has graduall}^ advanced a distance of about 500 miles, and 

 will undoubtedly invade new territory at about the same rate. It is 

 not at all likely that legal restrictions of any kind would prevent or 

 materially hinder this spread. The slowness of the progress up to the 

 present time indicates that the principal means of spreading are onl}^ 

 natural ones, like the winds and a simple overflow from field to field, 

 and that the artificial agencies like transportation in seed or in other 

 commodities are comparatively unimportant; otherwise, with the 

 extensive shipping from Texas, instead of being confined to that State 

 as at present, the pest would now be found in many localities through- 

 out the South. Legal restrictions could only be directed against these 



