120 



PROPORTION OF SQUARES ATTACKED THAT ARE NOT DESTROYED. 



Observations on this point have been continued through two sea- 

 sons. The results may be most briefly given in the form of a tabular 

 statement. 



Table XXXIV. — Proportion of squares attacked that are not destroyed. 



Period. 



Squares 

 attacked. 



Blooms 

 formed. 



Good 



bolls 



formed. 



June to August 



September to November 



Do 



November to December . 



Do 



1903. 



June to July 



July to August 



August to September . 



1904. 



334 



125 

 51 



155 

 262 

 233 



Per cent. 

 18.3 

 20.0 

 26.0 

 25.0 

 27.5 



14.5 

 14.6 

 13.4 



Per cent. 



5.7 



6.0 



18.0 



(a) 



(«) 



6.0 

 11.0 



7.7 



Total.... 

 Average . 



1,856 



20.0 



10.0 



a Too late to reach maturitv. 



The results shown in the preceding table may be summarized by 

 sa3dng that upon the average one square in ^lyq of those attacked forms 

 a bloom sufficiently perfect to open, and that one-half of the blooms 

 thus produced, or 10 per cent of the squares attacked, ultimately 

 result in the formation of normal bolls. 



The hope of gathering a top crop is the ''will-o'-the-wisp" of cotton 

 planters. After considerable cotton has been matured fall rains often 

 stimulate the production of a large number of squares, and many 

 planters are misled by the hope of gathering a large top crop from 

 this growth. The joints of the plant are short, and the squares are 

 formed rapidly and near together. Though weevils ma}^ have been 

 exceedingly numerous in the field, their numbers will have become so 

 decreased in the manner described under the preceding heading that 

 the}^ can rarely keep up with the production of squares at this period 

 of rapid growth. Many blooms may appear, and the hope of a large 

 top crop increases. 



The fact, however, as stated by prominent growers, is that before 

 the appearance of the weevil they actually gathered only about three 

 top crops in 25 years. The chance of its development, though always 

 small, becomes hopeless wherever the weevil is present in considerable 

 numbers. (See Tables XXIX to XXXIV, and average of infestation 

 of entire fields, p. 115.) Neither the hopelessness of gathering a top 

 crop nor the actual injury which is being done to the crop of the sue- 



