﻿THE PINK BOLLWORM 27 



PRESENT STATUS 



The most noteworthy feature of the present status of the infesta- 

 tions which have been discovered in the United States is that they 

 fall into two groups. One of these includes the infested districts 

 found in western Texas and New Mexico; the Big Bend, Pecos, 

 Carlsbad, El Paso Valley, and INIesilla Valley. All these show in- 

 festations continuing from year to year, with breaks of no great 

 significance in some instances. 



The other group includes all districts in which infestations have 

 appeared in the United States, except those just named. They are 

 six in number, four of which are in eastern Texas and two in west- 

 ern Louisiana. Following are the latest years in which infestation 

 has been known to exist in the several districts : Hearne, 1917 ; Cam- 

 eron, 1919; Shreveport, 1920; and Trinity Bay, Ennis, and Ma- 

 rilee, 1921. 



In the eastern areas the success of the efforts at eradication ap- 

 pears to be strongly indicated. It is by no means certain that 

 eradication has actually been accomplished in all these six districts, 

 one of which included all or parts of seven counties. The extremely 

 slight infestation, involving enormous difficulties in finding it, the 

 longevity of the insect, and the insidious nature of its work, all sug- 

 gest the possibility of a new infestation, to be eventually discovered 

 in one or more of these districts. This possibility, however, is de- 

 cidedly remote, so thoroughly has the scouting been done. In the 

 more heavily infested places in the Trinity Bay area, the scouting 

 included the examination of every boll and bur left on the plants 

 after picking the cotton in fields planted after the termination of 

 the noncotton zones. Such a possible infestation, however, would not 

 be a serious matter, as the methods of eradication already worked out 

 have been highly effective and are available at any time. 



A great danger lies in the possibility that there may be infesta- 

 tions in unsuspected localities in the United States. The systematic 

 search through practically the entire Cotton Belt by the Department 

 of Agriculture and by the various State agencies has reduced this 

 possibility to perhaps a negligible item. If any infestations are 

 discovered, the perfection of the known methods of eradication will 

 greatly facilitate, if not insure, their elimination. 



Although the situation as regards the eastern infestations, many of 

 which are in solid cotton territory, may be said to be satisfactory, 

 the situation in the western areas is not so favorable. In these, on 

 account of their proximity to Mexico, it has been impossible to take 

 steps toward eradication, such as the establishment of temporary 

 noncotton zones. Permanent noncotton zones would be required, and 

 thefie have been impracticable on account of economic and other 

 conditions. 1'he danger of the spread of the insect from the western 

 areas is by no means as great as might appear. In the first place, 

 there is a barrier of 200 miles or more where no cotton is planted. 

 The areas are also under (|uarantine, and all materials which could 

 possibly carry the infestation from them are safeguarded. The 

 volume of the infestation is greatly lessened by the requirement 

 that all seed produced b(! disinfected by heat as a paii of the process 

 of ginning. Clinialir r-onditions are also holding the, insect to small 

 numljcrs. The districts are ol" considerable elevation, ranging from 



