THE STATUS OF THE COTTON BOLL WEEVIL IN 1909. 7 



thus accounts to a great extent for the fact that the total crop of the 

 State has not fallen off. 



The table is introduced to show in what manner the State of Texas 

 is able to produce large crops of cotton since the advent of the weevil. 

 There has clearly been a falling off in the proportion of the total 

 crop of the State which east Texas produces. TVTiile this has hap- 

 pened an extensive immigration into western Texas, where the weevil 

 is unable to withstand the climatic conditions, has resulted in a pro- 

 duction which more than offsets the loss suffered in the eastern part 

 of the State. 



The great increase in production in the western portion of Texas 

 is shown conspicuously by reference to individual counties. In 1899 

 Hall County, in the extreme western portion of the State, produced 

 113 bales; in 1908, over 17,000 bales. Between the same years the 

 crop in Jones County increased from 4,000 bales to 33,000; in Taylor 

 County, from 6,000 to 37,000; in Coleman County, from 8,000 to 

 62,000; and in Runnels County, from 3,000 to 56,000. There was an 

 average annual gain in the period referred to in Hall County of 

 over 10,000 bales; in Jones County, an average annual gain of over 

 22,000 bales. The other counties in that portion of the State show 

 similar records. 



While this remarkable increase has been accomplished in western 

 Texas, there has been a great falling off in the eastern portion of the 

 State. For instance, Fannin County produced 59,000 bales in 1899 

 and 48,000 bales in 1908. Likewise, in the same time Red River 

 Count}^ fell from 29,000 bales to 18,000 bales. These conditions are 

 better illustrated by comparing the average annual production before 

 1904 and since that year. This gives a period of ten 3"ears, in half of 

 which the boll weevil was distributed generally in eastern Texas. 

 For the five years ending with 1908, the crop of Fannin County 

 showed an average annual loss of 16,752 bales; Lamar County, an 

 average annual loss of 10,246 bales; Red River County, of 11,576 

 bales; and Grayson County, of 10,174 bales. ** 



tt The Bureau of Plant Industry attributes the reduction in cotton production in 

 east Texas to the following causes, in addition to the boll weevil: 



First. The construction of railroads and sawmills in the long-leaf pine counties, 

 which, by their higher wage, drew their main supply of labor from the small farms of 

 that section. 



Second. The introduction of more profitable lines of agricultiu"e, such as wrapper 

 tobacco, truck gardening, small fruits, peaches and pears, for which east Texas is 

 well adapted. 



Third. The Texas coast rice industry^ which in the past decade increased over 

 2,000 per cent and attracted many small farmers from east Texas. 



Fourth. The general effort made by the United States Department of Agriculture 

 to induce the farmers to raise their home supplies, which has had considerable effect. 



This readjustment of agriculture in east Texas by a reduction of the acreage in 

 cotton and the adding of other staple and cash crops would, however, have taken 

 place in any event. It was simply hastened by the advent of the weevil. 



