THE BOLL-WEEVIL 29 < 



Texas in 1892. Since that time it has advanced northward and 

 eastward quite rapidly over the cotton belt, extending the radius 

 of its area about one hundred miles in one year. 



The boll-weevil will completely cover the cotton growing 

 states by 1930, unless some natural enemy destroys it. Thus far no 

 work of man can stop its spread, but much has been done through 

 the efforts of the national government and experiment stations 

 to reduce the enormous damage due to the ravages of this insect. 



The adult beetle is reddish brown in color and about one 

 quarter inch in length. The eggs are laid in the young "squares" 

 as the bolls are then called. Egg laying begins soon after the 

 petals fall from the flowers. In warm weather the eggs hatch 

 quickly, and the larvae eat their way into the young bolls, destroy- 

 ing much fibre (Fig. 196). A larva will become full grown in about 

 ten days. It then transforms into a pupa, in which condition it 

 rests and transforms into the adult beetle or weevil, which emerges 

 a few days later. The chief injury is done by the larvae feeding 

 within the bolls, but the adult weevils also puncture the bolls in 

 feeding. This insect multiplies very rapidly. In the extreme 

 south there are sometimes five generations in one season and four 

 in its northern area. Four females may have as many as a million 

 descendants in one season. 



The winter is passed in the mature or weevil stage. From 

 this it has been found that the best method of fighting the insect 

 is to destroy the adult weevils in the winter. They prefer to 

 hide in empty cotton burs, stems of cotton and similar litter in 

 the cotton field. They sometimes spread to hiding places adjacent 

 to cotton fields. Fall plowing, which has been suggested, is one 

 of the best ways of destroying the hibernating weevils. It is well 

 to also clean up the hedge rows and road sides adjacent to cotton 

 fields. This is sometimes accomplished by burning or by mowing 

 and raking off the litter. 



The boll-weevil seems to greatly prefer the young squares as 

 a place to lay its eggs. If cotton is planted early, and rapidly 

 grown, so that many of the bolls will be developed beyond the 

 stage desired by weevils, so early in the season that there are not 

 many insects to attack them, a good crop of cotton may result 

 in spite of this serious enemy. Later in the season squares which 

 continue to form will be completely destroyed by weevils which 

 have become abundant by that time. Selection of quick maturing 

 varieties, early rapid growth, the use of stimulating fertilizers, 



