10 



rains during the winter of 1902-1903 practically prohibited Avinter 

 plowing-, and from the same cause planting in the spring was every- 

 where delayed from four to six weeks. Subsequent weather condi- 

 tions, especialh' in late July and earh' August, were such as are 

 held to be most favorable to bollworm development. The general 

 lateness of the cotton crop resulted in there being but little fruit 

 sufficiently matured to be exempt from attack upon the migration 

 of the insects to cotton in early August. The capabilities of the 

 insect for injury under such conditions are very great. In the terri- 

 tor}' infested by the boll weevil the combined attack of these two 

 species often left but little to be gathered. A yield of 1 bale on 

 from 15 to 25 acres was frequently reported, and in some fields no 

 cotton whatever was gathered. 



The following estimates of bollworm injury in 1903 in certain coun- 

 ties in Texas are made up from data from various sources and from 

 personal observation, and are given to indicate the capabilities for 

 injury of tliis species under such conditions as prevailed during that 

 year: 



i^^timnlt'!^ i)f bolltrorm injunj to the cation crop in riTfani counties in Texas in ..DOS. 



Per cent. 



Navarro 20 to 25 



Henderson 15 to 20 



Limestone 20 to 25 



Falls . : 8 to 10 



Bell 8 to 10 



Robertson 15 to 20 



Fannin 50 to GO 



Per cent. 



Lamar -JO to 50 



Delta 50 to 60 



Hunt 30 to 35 



Hopkins 25 to 30 



Kaufman 25 t(j 30 



Van Zantlt 20 to 25 



In i)leasing contrast were the much less serious ravages of the insect 

 in 1901, when it was only more or less locally that severe injury 

 occurred. The favorable weather of the fall of 1903 and the follow- 

 ing winter and spring permitted xovy general breaking up of land 

 during this period, and many pupge were undoubtedl}^ thus destroyed. 

 The moths were noticeably much less numerous in young field corn 

 during the spring, and they were subsequently much loss abundant, 

 as evidenced by the number of egg-s on the silks of early and late corn. 



The cotton crop was, on the whole, planted at or before the normal 

 date, and in most fields a fair crop of bolls had so matured by early 

 August as to be exempt from bollworm attack in the presence of an 

 abundance of more tender bolls and squares. While complaint of 

 injury came from a consideral)le range of territor}^, it was not, on the 

 whole, of serious extent, except on late cotton on bottom lands. 



In the accompanying map (tig. 1) the shaded area marks approxi- 

 mately the territory infested in 1904. The average annual injury to 

 the cotton crop of the South, mostly confined to the western part of 

 the cotton belt, is probably not less than $11,500,000. 



