53 



few weevils, whereas at the same season in some years hibernated 

 weevils have been picked in large numbers from the young cotton 

 growing in the infested territory. At Victoria in 1904 hibernated 

 weevils were many times as numerous as in 1903. 



Whether there be few or many hibernated weevils, however, makes 

 no difference in their feeding habits. The stage of the cotton at the 

 date of emergence determines largely the nature of the food habits at 

 that time. Owing to the extremely wet winter and the very late 

 spring of 1903, little cotton could be planted until the latter part of 

 March or the first part of April. In 1904 much cotton planted in 

 March in the southern part of the State did not break ground until 

 the latter part of April owing to the dryness of the soil from lack of 

 spring rains. In such cases as these, therefore, cotton must be small 

 at the time of the emergence of man}^ of the weevils from hibernation, 

 and some time must elapse before the formation of the first squares 

 furnishes the early weevils with the normal food supply. During this 

 interval the weevils get their food from the tender, rapidly growing 

 terminal portions of the young plants, as several observers have noted. 

 The central bud, young leaves, or the tender stems are attacked, and 

 upon these the weevils easily subsist until the squares are developed. 



In 1896 Mr. Marlatt noted: "The eating in the field on volunteer cot- 

 ton is practically confined to the young expanding leaves at the bud 

 and to the tender petioles or stems of this portion of the plant." 



TIME HIBERNATED WEEVILS CAN EXIST ON FOLIAGE BEFORE FORMATION 



OF SQUARES. 



The suggestion has been frequently made that by delaying the 

 planting of cotton until late in the spring the weevils emerging from 

 hibernation might all starve to death before the cotton would be in 

 condition to furnish them with a food supply. In regard to this 

 suggestion, several factors must be considered. 



(1) The average period of emergence from hibernation in localities 

 where observations have been made may extend from some time in 

 March, frequentl}^ as early as the middle of the month, to the very 

 last of May, or possibly the first of June. It is impracticable to delay 

 the planting of the crop until the first of June. In the northern por- 

 tion of the State this late planting would not allow a sufficiently long 

 season for the development of the crop before early frosts occur in 

 the autumn. In the southern portion of the State the occurrence of a 

 considerable amount of seppa^ or stubble cotton would furnish the 



« "Seppa" is the term used by Mexican residents of south Texas to differentiate 

 the cotton plants springing from the roots of the previous year from those strictly 

 "volunteer," springing from accidentally scattered seeds. ''Stubble" and ''stump- 

 age ' ' are other terms similarly applied to second-year growth of cotton, and have the 

 same meaning as " seppa. " 



