268 AGRICULTURE 



bud or square, or within the boll (which is more likely ^o 

 remain hanging upon the plant), the larva changes to a 

 pupa. After only about three days more it becomes a full- 

 grown weevil. The weevil then cuts a hole in the sur- 

 rounding walls that is just the size of its body, and 

 through this makes its escape to the outside world (Fig. 

 175). All of its life from the time the egg is laid until 

 the mature weevil comes forth is passed in the interior 

 of the square or boll. This fact makes it impossible 

 to apply any poisons so as to destroy the insect in its 

 early stages. 



The adult. The mature weevil (Fig. 172) is a gray or 

 reddish brown insect about a quarter of an inch long, not 

 including the long snout. The mouth-parts are very small 

 and are at the extreme tip of the long snout. This en- 

 ables the weevil to bore deep into the squares and bolls. 

 Squares, blooms, and bolls are destroyed by the attacks of 

 the mature weevils, by the injury caused by the growing 

 grub, and by the decay which starts in such wounds. 

 The adults, or weevils, may live for a number of months. 

 The development is so rapid that fully five generations 

 may reach maturity in a season. Hence the insects are 

 most abundant in the late summer and in the fall. The 

 only check to the increase of weevils is the absence of 

 squares, blooms, and bolls. When the weevils are very 

 numerous, they destroy the squares so completely that no 

 blooms are formed. 



Spread. The weevils may be spread in a number of 

 ways, especially by seed carried from the gins on the border 

 of the region where the weevil is present. To prevent 



