practically no plowing was done; the weather conditions during the 

 latter part of the summer were favorable for bollworm increase; as 

 a result, a year of severe and widespread depredations was experi- 

 enced. Conditions in 1904 were almost the reverse and injury was 

 much less general and less severe. The crop was planted very early, 

 this being due in part to the fact that weather conditions during the 

 fall and winter of 1903 permitted general plowing and preparations 

 for planting. The winter plowing evidently resulted in the destruc- 

 tion of many pupse, so that the moths emerging in the spring, as 

 well as subsequent broods, were greatly lessened. On account of the 

 decided earliness of the crop a considerable number of bolls were 

 sufficiently mature to escape injury in the presence of an abundance 

 of young bolls and squares. 



During 1905 conditions were again favorable for bollworm depre- 

 dations, and quite heavy losses were experienced in many counties in 

 Texas, Indian Territory, and Louisiana. For some unknown reason 

 little preparation was made in the fall of 1904 for planting during the 

 following spring. The severe weather in February, followed by a wet 

 spring, especially in northern Texas and Louisiana, resulted in 

 general late planting throughout that section. Many heavy rains in 

 the early summer, especially in northeastern Texas and western 

 Louisiana, resulted in the very poor cultivation of most crops, and 

 the complete abandoninent of many fields. 



While severe bollworm injury to cotton occurred over a considera- 

 ble area of Texas and Indian Territory during the season of 1906, 

 the total loss due to the pest was not so great as that inflicted in 1905. 



Contrary to usual conditions the counties of extreme northeastern 

 Texas did not suffer severe injury. The area of greatest damage 

 extended throughout the two northern tiers of counties of Texas, 

 from Lamar and Delta to Clay and Jack counties, and included the 

 southwestern portion of Chickasaw Nation and the southern part of 

 Choctaw Nation, Indian Territory. The loss to cotton growers in 

 this area varied from 10 to 65 per cent of the crop, and in certain 

 late- planted tracts the destruction of the crop was so complete as to 

 render it unprofitable to even pick over the fields. 



The precipitation in this section during July and August was con- 

 siderably greater than normal and this condition was undoubtedly 

 accountable, in part at least, for the greater loss occasioned by the 

 bollworm. 



In the following table a comparison is made of the cotton crop for 

 each of the years 1903 to 1906, inclusive, in those eight counties of 

 Texas in which exceptionally severe bollworm injury was inflicted 

 during the year 1906. 



The annual crop is given for these eight counties, taken collectively, 



290 



