COTTON INSECTS 405 



ever, when the boll-weevil is present, the caterpillar should 

 not be poisoned, but treated as an enemy of the boll- 

 weevil, and hence as a friend of the farmer. This is be- 

 cause the cotton caterpillar, by consuming all the foliage 

 of the cotton plant, prevents the formation of squares and 

 thus deprives the weevil of its food in the fall at a time 

 when starvation is most fatal to the insect. 



372. General suggestions on farming after the arrival 

 of the boll-weevil. — Unless there are special hindrances 

 to the early maturity of the cotton crop, cotton should 

 continue to be grown at a profit after the arrival of the 

 boll-weevil. But this will be possible only for those farmers 

 who practice intensive cotton culture, that is, such methods 

 as in the absence of the weevil will produce nearly a bale 

 per acre. The larger the yield, the greater, as a rule, is 

 the proportion of the crop that matures early, and hence 

 that may be expected to escape injury by this pest. It 

 will be necessary to grow at least as many bales as at 

 present but on a much smaller number of acres. 



The presence of the boll-weevil causes farmers to pro- 

 duce their supply of food and forage and to grow for sale 

 a greater variety of farm products and live-stock than 

 before the coming of the weevil. This gives an opportunity 

 for rotation of crops, which enriches the soil and thereby 

 makes easier the production of larger yields per acre of 

 cotton. Rotation is also a means of reducing the amounf 

 of injury inflicted on the cotton plant by the boll-weevil. 



The wide distribution of this insect may be expected 

 to raise the price of cotton. This higher price, together 

 with the more intensive methods of fertilization and cul- 

 tivation, and the diversification of crops, should compen- 



