10 



conditions, in al)out 3 duA^s, and the grub immediatel}'' begins to feed. 

 In from T to 12 da.y>i the larva or grub passes into its pupal or trans- 

 formation stage, corresponding to the cocoon stage of the silkworm. 

 This stage lasts from 3 to 5 days. Then the adult weevil issues, and 

 in a])out 5 days begins the production of another generation. Climatic 

 conditions cause considerable variation in the duration of these stages, 

 but on an average it requires from 2 to 3 weeks for the weevil to 

 develop from the egg to the adult. The plainest indication of the 

 presence of the weevil in a cotton field is the flaring (fig. 3) and 

 falling of the squares or forms, which takes place generall}" between 

 5 and 10 days after the egg is deposited. However, as all planters are 

 aware, hoav}' rains after drought, as well as other climatic conditions, 

 have the efi'ect of causing the squares to fall. If the planter should 

 observe an unusual shedding of the fruit, he may easil}^ determine the 

 cause by gathering a few of the fallen squares. If, upon cutting open 

 these squares, he finds a small, Avhitish, curved grub (fig. 4), there 

 can be little doubt that the cause of the trouble is the boll weevil. 

 Specimens should then be securely packed and sent to an entomologist 

 for final determination. 



TERRITORY AFFECTED. 



During the season of 1904 the normal increase in infested territory 

 occurred. About 15,000 square miles, representing approximately an 

 area de\oted to the cultivation of cotton of 900,000 acres, the normal 

 production from which would be in the neighborhood of 350,000 

 bales, became invaded for the first time. This increases the infested 

 area in the United States at present to about 32 per cent of the total 

 cotton acreage. 



One of the most interesting features of the situation during the 

 past season has been the fact that the infested territor}^ has been 

 extended eastward much more rapidly than northward. Careful 

 examinations of the portions of Indian Territory which the boll 

 weevil is likeh" to reach first have failed to reveal any infestation. 

 In fact, on the north the limitation of the infested territory' remains 

 practically the same as last year. This applies, however, only to the 

 total infested area in Avhicli even isolated colonies of the pest have 

 been found to exist. There has been a gradual northward advance of 

 the limits of the region of what may be termed "gross infestation;" 

 that is, where the weevils are to be found in considerable numbers in 

 all cotton fields. This advance has extended from about the latitude 

 of the northern portion of Ellis County to the latitude of the southern 

 portions of Denton and Collin counties, a distance of about 36 miles. 



The situation mentioned in the preceding paragraph leads to specu- 

 lation as to whether the pest has not reached a northern limit beyond 



216 



