﻿THE PINK BOLLWORM 23 



larvae as might be in tlie soil. Certainly the vast majority of the 

 insects in the field in the fall and winter are in the bolls on the 

 plants and in the bolls and trash on the ground, and these are 

 effectively disposed of. The remaining insects are in a very unfav- 

 orable situation on account of the normally heavy winter rains, as 

 experiments performed in Mexico show clearly that in moist soil the 

 insect rareh^ if ever passes the winter alive. 



The following is a general outline of the lines of preventive work 

 begun in 1917 and continued up to the present time : 



The exclusion from the United States of cottonseed from all foreign coun- 

 tries ex';ept the Impei'lal Valley of Lower California, Mexico. Cottonseed from 

 Hawaii and Porto Rico has also been excluded. • 



The regulation and safeguarding of the entry of cottonseed products from 

 all foreign countries and from Hawaii and Porto Rico. 



Regulation of entry and disinfection of all imported cotton and cotton 

 waste, and of burlaps which have been used as wrappings of foreign cotton, 

 including such material from Hawaii and Porto Rico. 



Survey, eradication, and control work in Texas and elsewhere, in cooperation 

 with State authorities. 



Regulation of rail and other traffic with Mexico. 



Determination of distribution in Mexico and cooperation in control measures 

 with the Mexican Government or local Mexican authorities. 



Investigation in INIexico of the life history and habits of the pink boUworm, 

 as a basis for control measures. 



The work at the Texas border ports consists in the regulation of 

 traffic from Mexico to prevent the importation, through accident or 

 otherwise, of any Mexican cottonseed. Tt includes the inspection 

 and disinfection of baggage, the cleaning or disinfection of all 

 freight, express, and other shipments, except those which could not 

 possibly carry infestation, restriction on the entry of railway cars 

 from Mexico, regulation of the transfer of freight, express, and other 

 .shipments, certification of all cars or other carriers of merchandise 

 as a condition of entry into the United States (excepting merchan- 

 dise or other materials of strictly local origin), and the cleaning of 

 domestic cars as a condition of receiving freight originating in 

 Mexico for movement into the interior of the United States. 



The work in Mexico consists in research and in cooperation with 

 the Mexican Government and planters for eradicating the pink boll- 

 worm from that country. The loss which the pink bollworm has 

 already shown itself capable of causing, and the fact that the cotton 

 lands are owned by comparatively few persons, are grounds for 

 hope that the main infestation in the Laguna district may be de- 

 stroyed. Various conditions, however, have prevented any very de- 

 finite progress along this line. 



CHRONOLOGICAL SUMMARY OF INFESTATIONS 



The origin of the Hearne infestation of 1917 has already been 

 narrated. The area ch'aned up foinprised 1,024 acres, A noncotton 

 /one was maintained for three years. No reinfestation has been 

 foiinrl np to the present time. 



'i'he Trinity Bay infestation co/nprised 150 fiehls of the crop of 

 1917. A noncotton zone was [)i-()vided in 1918, but, on account of a 

 defective State law, it was disconi iniied during 1919. In the latter 

 year 51 infested fields were found. In 19'20, 1921, and 1922, noncot- 



