followed. However, to prevent a severe loss from the weevil 

 in 1907, it will be necessary for the farmers in this territory to 

 destroy their cotton plants in the fall of 1906. In order to have 

 their cotton picked and out of the way before the time arrives 

 for this destruction of stalks next fall, they must adopt the cul- 

 tural remedy and methods next spring. 



The fact should not be overlooked, that in a boll weevil-in- 

 fested section, no "top crop'' is ever produced. The top crop 

 must be sacrificed, either to the weevil, or to the "fall de- 

 struction" of cotton plants. So long as the latter is a direct 

 and effective step in reducing the weevils' numbers, the sacri- 

 fice is turned to good account. It is also evident that the value 

 of the so-called "top crop" has been greatly magnified in most 

 sections, and its loss, in reality, does not greatly affect the total 

 production. 



Upon small farms, where sufficient stock is at hand, cattle 

 can be turned into the cotton fields, and by close gra/ing they 

 will entirely destroy the weevils' food supply, making the ac- 

 tual destruction by the planter unnecessary. This plai: will not 

 prove entirely satisfactory, however, unless sufficient < tittle are 

 at hand to keep destroyed all squares and leaves as fast as they 

 are formed upon the plant. It is perhaps unnecessary to 

 utter a word of caution against admitting cattle to fields where, 

 for any reason, Paris green has recently been applied. 



In fields where the cotton caterpillar entirely defoliates the 

 cotton by the middle of October (in average seasons), actual 

 destruction of the stalks is also unnecessary, as the total de- 

 struction of all foliage and squares disposes of the great bulk 

 of the weevils' food supply and breeding places. The work of 

 the caterpillars should not be depended upon except where the 

 defoliation is complete. "Where the caterpillar has entirely de- 

 foliated the major part of a field, leaving an occasional small 

 area still green, this latter should be destroyed by the planter. 



We do not expect the reader to accept the foregoing too lib- 

 erally, and refrain from applying poison for the caterpillar 

 when the latter appears early in the season. Regardless of the 

 good that the caterpillar may do in the fight against the wee- 

 vil late in the season, the caterpillar itself must be kept in con- 

 trol during early and mid-summer. 



Upon bottom lands, where the growth of the cotton plant 

 is luxuriant, a few caterpillars through the cotton fields in the 



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