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effective machine ma}^ be perfected. Careful tests which have been 

 made with all those proposed up to the present time, however, do not 

 show an}' decided hope in this direction. These machines have l)een 

 designed to poison the insects, to jar them and the infested squares 

 from the plants, to pick the fallen squares from the ground, to kill by 

 fvunigation, and to burn all infested material on the ground. It is 

 estimated that over one thousand machines of a certain class, designed 

 to jar the weevils and infested squares from the plants, were sold in 

 Texas during the season of 1904. The testimony of all users of these 

 machines is now to the effect that they are entirely useless as far as 

 the increasing of the crop is concerned. As each one of these machines 

 was sold for $40, the loss to the people of the State can be seen to be 

 very great. By such means it is, of course, possible to capture a cer- 

 tain number of weevils in the field. The great number remaining and 

 their rapid rate of multiplication render tliis small number entirely 

 inconseauential. 



The Bureau of Entomolog}' follows the general policy of investigat- 

 ing all machines that are proposed; but no machine has yet been found 

 sufficientl}' effective to be recommended. In fact, there seems at pres- 

 ent to be little probability that such a machine will ever be perfected. 



A great number of poisons to be used as sprays and in other forms 

 have been proposed. It is usually supposed that some exceedingly 

 toxic substance has been discovered which, in a very diluted quantity, 

 will kill the insects with which it comes in contact. Other applications 

 are designed to repel the insects from the plant by some supposedl}?^ 

 offensive propert^^ It is almost needless to state that all these pro- 

 posed remedies are entirelv without value. 



aUAEANTINES AGAINST THE BOLL WEEVIL. 



In the attempt to prevent the introduction of the boll weevil sev- 

 eral State legislatures have enacted laws which either in themselves 

 restrict the shipment of commodities believed to be likely to convey 

 the pest, or authorize State crop pest commissions or State entomolo- 

 gists to promulgate and enforce rules and regulations to this end. 

 Unfortunately there is very little uniformitj- in State regulations now 

 in force. Some States have quarantined articles that are admitted 

 unrestrictedly by others, and, moreover, from time to time numerous 

 modifications of the regulations based upon these laws have been 

 made. This has resulted in endless confusion to shippers and trans- 

 portation companies. The natural conuuercial course of at least 5,000 

 carloads of Texas farm products was either interfered with decidedly 

 or prevented entirely by the operation of these laws during the season 

 of 1904. In view of this situation the Department of Agriculture 

 suggests the following plan for a State law, providing for quarantines, 



