STRAWBERRY WEEVIL IN SOUTH-CENTRAL STATES. 61 



THE STRAWBERRY WEEVIL IN ARKANSAS. 



The strawberry-growing industry in Arkansas is a very important 

 one, in 1899 the production of this State being nearly four times that of 

 Texas and Louisiana combined; or, in round numbers, nearly 13,000,000 

 quarts. Three sections of the State were visited, including the 

 two leading strawberry -growing districts which together produce more 

 than four-fifths of all the strawberries grown in the State. ^' The first in 

 importance of these sections comprizes three adjoining counties in the 

 northwest corner of the State — Benton, Washington, and Crawford. 

 Van Buren, located in Crawford County, the southernmost of the three 

 named, was visited on April 27. A single adult specimen of the 

 strawberr};^ weevil was taken on a wild blackberry growing by the 

 roadside, but in the strawberry fields the only indications of its 

 presence which were found were a few scattering severed flower buds. 

 The second section in importance in strawberry production in Arkan- 

 sas is located in White County, which is situated a short distance 

 northeast of the geographical center of the State. This county in 

 1899^ produced one and a half million quarts of strawberries, or a 

 quantity a little short of equaling the total production of the State of 

 Louisiana. Bald Knob and Judsonia, two leading strawberry shipping- 

 points in Smith County, were visited on April 25. Many strawberry 

 fields were visited, and the weevil was found to be moderately abun- 

 dant near these localities. The destruction in the many fields exam- 

 ined was estimated to range from 5 to 25 per cent of the flower buds, 

 averaging between 10 and 15 per cent. Along the roadsides a small 

 percentage of the flower buds of wild blackberries had been wholly or 

 partially severed. The weevil and its destructive habits were found 

 to be fairly well known among the strawberry growers in this section, 

 by whom the weevil was reported to have varied in abundance from year 

 to year, and in occasional years in the past to have accomplished con- 

 siderable damage. The destruction of the flower buds, as mentioned 

 above, did not necessarily represent a proportionate loss to the grow- 

 ers, as picking had begun about ten days earlier, and berries produced 

 from flowers which set at a later date than the writer's examination 

 very likely would remain unpicked owing to the expected falling off 

 in the market demands. The third locality in Arkansas where an 

 examination was made is near the center of the State, 1 mile from 

 Little Rock. An hour's search in a strawberry field on April 26 

 revealed a few severed buds, while not a hundred 3^ards away wild 

 blackberries, which were very common along the roadsides, had 

 from 5 to 10 per cent of their flower buds destroyed. The only adult 

 specimen of the strawberry weevil taken in this vicinity was on a 

 blackberry bush. 



« Twelfth Census of the United States, 1900. 



