282 FUNDAMENTALS OF AGRICULTURE. 



which constitute the only food the weevil has causes 

 millions of them to starve to death before the weather 

 gets cool enough for them to hibernate. It destroys 

 the young weevils in the squares and grown bolls, and 

 leaves no place for the mother weevils to lay the eggs 

 which would produce a late autumn generation. 



The Cultural Method. The fall destruction of the 

 cotton plants must be supplemented the following 

 spring by what is known as the " cultural method " of 

 fighting the weevil. By cultural method is meant the 

 best care that can be given the growing cotton crop. 

 The soil must be well plowed and thoroughly pulver- 

 ized before the seed is planted, an early-maturing va- 

 riety must be used and the seed must be planted early. 

 On poor soils, fertilizer containing plenty of phos- 

 phoric acid must be liberally used. From the time the 

 cotton comes up until the first bolls are opening it must 

 receive frequent shallow cultivations. The more it 

 is cultivated the faster will the plants grow, and the 

 sooner will they produce bolls. It is a race with the 

 boll weevil from the beginning, for each week sees an 

 increased number of weevils in the field, and when there 

 are weevils enough to destroy all squares as fast as 

 they can grow no more bolls can be " made." Many 

 successful farmers in the weevil-infested section culti- 

 vate their crops as many as ten or twelve times during 

 the growing season. 



Steady, persistent work, guided by an intelligent 

 knowledge of the boll weevil's habits, will win the battle 

 against this foe. 



EXERCISE. If the school is located in a section where boll weevils 

 occur, have the students visit a cotton field and bring infested 

 squares and bolls to the school. Notice the difference between feed- 

 ing punctures and egg punctures. Open infested squares and find 

 the young in different stages of development, egg, larva, and pupa. 

 Place infested squares in a glass jar containing a little damp sand 

 and see how long it requires for the larvae to reach maturity. The 

 mouth of the jar should be covered with thin cloth to prevent es- 

 cape of the insects. Examine infested bolls and see how the injury 

 differs from that done to the squares. In winter, examine Spanish 

 moss for boll weevils in hibernation. 



