HIBEKNATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF BOLL WEEVIL. 7 



plats at Smith & Carson's plantation on September l-i, 1904. In plats 

 1-3, where the leaf worm had stript the plants clean of foliage, but 

 8 weevils were found to 100 stalks and but 40 per cent of the squares 

 were punctured. On plat 4, immediately adjoining these plats, which 

 had not been so seriously injured by the leaf worm, there were 27 squares 

 to a plant, 148 weevils to 100 stalks, and 70 per cent of the squares were 

 punctured. 



Mr. Teltschick has given us some interesting observations upon the 

 leaf worm, as follows:. 



As far back as I can remember — some twenty-odd years — the people here (Lavaca 

 County ) had to fight the leaf worm every year. Arsenic, Paris green, and London 

 purple Avere used with varying success. At first the worms made their appearance 

 as early as June and frequently hatched in such numbers as to enable them to sweep 

 a field clean in less than 48 hours. Gradually, however, this wave of worms sub- 

 sided; that is to say, they made their appearance later and later in the season, and 

 became fewer in numbers, until finally when the boll weevil made its first appearance, 

 their coming was no longer viewed with alarm. On the contrary they were often 

 welcomed by the farmers, inasmuch as they cleared away the thick foliage of the 

 cotton plant, thus often saving a considerable number of the bolls at the bottom, 

 which would otherwise have rotted for the want of light and air. 



At the time of the weevils coming here (seven or eight years ago) the w^orms w^ere 

 no longer regarded as a menace to the cotton crop; they made their first appearance 

 then either late in August or early in September. They kept this up practically 

 until in 1902 and 1903 they failed to come at all. This year (1904) they reappeared 

 early in September and completely stript cotton of its foliage. The second destruc- 

 tive brood of worms is just now (October 2, 1904) hatched, and there is every reason 

 to believe that they will keep the stalks bare until frost as they did in former years. 

 It will have to be admitted that during 1902-3, when cotton grew and formed 

 ^squares undisturbed up to the first frost, which occurred in December of both years, 

 [an opportunity was given the weevil to go into hibernatiug quarters later in the 

 [season and in greater numbers than would have been the case had the further 

 rowth of cotton been prevented either by man's or nature's means. 



Thus the leaf worm accomplishes practically the same result as is 

 [obtained by grazing stalks with cattle and may be considered a most 

 [valuable ally. 



The number of weevils which go into hibernation may of course be 



[decreased by the thoro grazing of the cotton with cattle before frost, 



>r by cutting, plowing out, and burning the stalks. It is safe to say 



that by a thoro fall clearing of the ground the number of weevils 



[entering hibernation can be decreased at least 75 per cent. Weevils 



[in all stages are thus immediately destroyed, and if the land is cleared 



)f cotton a month before the normal hibernation period the weevils 



bhen escaping are almost certain to starve, as has been shown in Table 



fl, before it becomes cold enough for them to hibernate. 



Under normal conditions, as noted in Table III, column 3, the num- 

 )er of weevils to a stalk at the time of hibernation will vary from 1 

 [or every 2 stalks to 2 for each stalk in badly infested fields, the num- 

 )er depending, as before stated, entirely on the food supply and 



