400 SOUTHERN FIELD CROPS 



surviving the winter as directed above, but he should also 

 force the growth of the cotton plant as rapidly as practicable. 

 The purpose in doing this is to enable the cotton plants to 

 set a large number of bolls before many generations of weevils 

 have had time to come forth. Bolls of rather large size 

 are not seriously attacked so long as there is an abundance 

 of squares for the weevils then present. Hence the earlier 

 bolls escape injury, and there should be enough of these 

 to make a satisfactory yield. 



The methods of forcing the cotton plant rapidly for- 

 ward are the following : — 



(1) The use of varieties which set a large proportion of 

 the bolls early ; 



(2) The liberal use of fertiUzers rich in phosphoric acid, 

 or the growing of cotton on rather rich, well-drained land. 



(3) Thorough preparation of the land and frequent cul- 

 tivation of the crop ; and 



(4) Early planting. 



369. Minor methods of combating the boll-weevil. — 

 One of these consists in poisoning such mature weevils 

 as are present on the growing points or tender buds of the 

 cotton plants just before the appearance of any squares. 

 Some of the weevils that survive the winter spend a short 

 time in eating these tender parts of the cotton plant. 

 The poison found most effective is powdered arsenate of 

 lead. This should be applied at the rate of 2 to 2^ 

 pounds per acre and by means of a " powder gun," which 

 forces the powder into the growing tips, where the 

 weevils are feeding before the appearance of squares. 

 This poisoning can be done advantageously but once, and 

 only in the few days just before the first squares appear 



