58 PROCEEDINGS OF THE BOLL WEEVIL CONVENTION. 



end of a season one of them is able to count a number of grandchildren 

 of many generations. Each female insect is capable of destroying irom 

 200 to 300 bolls of cotton. Now, did you ever calculate and see how 

 many pounds of cotton can be destroyed by them in a season. One hun- 

 dred bolls of cotton will make a pound of lint. One of these individuals, 

 in the full exercise of life and vigor, will inoculate from two to three 

 hundred squares. That is two or three pounds of cotton for every in- 

 sect. Now, I believe it has been shown that a pair of weevils in one 

 season can multiply to one hundred and twenty-eight millions. But, at 

 any rate, seven or eight millions have been produced, as ascertained by 

 actual count. Now, take just seven or eight million insects, and let each 

 one of them do his duty, and count how many pounds of cotton they will 

 destroy. 



I am saying this to demonstrate, gentlemen, the necessity of using every 

 effort, in the way of quarantine, police and expropriation, anything to 

 keep out this weevil from our midst. 



I must say to you, gentlemen, that I have been working along the 

 scientific and practical side of Southern agriculture for 33 years. I stand 

 before you to-day to address a meeting of planters similar to those that 

 I addressed 33 years ago. I have seen the ups and downs of Southern 

 agriculture. I have seen our planters almost in despair, in despondency, 

 but I say to-day that you never had a danger confronting you so great as 

 this which is coming, and if you do not stop it, when it comes, it will 

 come to stay. It behooves each and every one of you to give your sup- 

 port to this Convention, and if we have an extra session of the Legisla- 

 ture, this Legislature should be asked to appoint some body with all the 

 quarantine, police and expropriation powers of the State delegated to it. 

 And whilst some of you may have to suffer, some o* you' fields may 

 have to be destroyed, some may have to be sacrificed upon the altar of 

 patriotism, I beg each and every one of you to make up your minds to 

 stand ready for the sacrifice, if necessary, as a soldier must do so on the 

 field of battle. You will have to stand it for your country's good. We 

 do not know who may be the first victim. Somebody may have to suffer ; 

 for we must keep the boll weevil out of this State. Make up your minds 

 that whatever calamity may befall you individually, if your property 

 should be destroyed, it will be for the good of the State. We have 

 everything to gain by united and co-operative action on the part of the 

 planters, and we hope we will be able to say that in the war with the 

 weevil we have* successfully stopped the enemy upon the confines of the 

 western borders of our State. 



I know that it is a great problem. I know that it is a problem almost 

 too serious to contemplate. When we talk about quarantine inspection of 

 every car, inspection of everything that comes from the State of Texas 

 into this State; when we talk about prohibiting communication between 



