16 HEARINGS BEFORE COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE. 
everything that happens to cotton now is attributed to the weevil. 
There are a great many other things that are destructive. Of course 
the cotton-boll weevil is the thing that is now in the public eye, but 
there are such things as storms, and floods, and similar things, and any 
injury, any damage, is generally attributed to this particular thing. 
Taking up, therefore, the lines of work that are enumerated by the 
Secretary in his report, there is reference on page 88 to the first line 
of work, ‘checking sporadic outbreaks of the weevil.” Dr. Howard 
will talk on this subject, and I only wish to say a few words in passing. 
In the matter of the expenditure of money in this field alone, the en- 
tire amount could probably be used, but it is a grave question whether 
the Department should take any action to that end. It is a question 
whether the States themselves can not, if it is deemed wise to do so, 
act in the matter, and it is merely a question of detail whether or not 
the Department should spend $10,000, $20,000, or half a million dollars 
in attempting to check sporadic outbreaks. I do not by that mean 
that efforts should not be made to check sporadic outbreaks, because 
I think efforts in that direction could be well put into operation. 
The Cuarrman. Have any sporadic outbreaks occurred ? 
Mr. Gattoway. Yes, sporadic outbreaks have occurred and are oc- 
curring on what is called the wave of the evil. 
The CHarrman. It is absolutely by contact from the diseased or 
affected portion of the country, is it not? 
Mr. Gattoway. Sporadic outbreaks, of course, would come in that 
way; but the point I had in mind was where a sporadic outbreak would 
be of such a nature that to stamp it out would not require a great 
expenditure of money. The question of the expenditure of money 
that I wish to speak about is whether or not the General Government 
should take action with reference to reimbursing cotton growers for 
crops that are destroyed. That is where the expenditure of money 
might be run to any limit. That method, of course, was followed in 
the case of the foot-and-mouth disease, where the Government actu- 
ally reimbursed, to a certain extent, owners of cattle who had such 
cattle destroyed. But those things Doctor Howard will discuss more 
fully, and I shall leave them in that shape. 2 
Mr. Scorr. You have alluded to a sporadic outbreak. If it would 
not interrupt you to ask the question now, I would like to inquire 
whether this boll weevil has inflicted anything like as much damage in 
other cotton-growing countries as it is now inflicting upon our country. 
ie Gatioway. Ithinknot. We have suffered more than any other 
country. 
Mr. Scorr. And whether some other countries have had a visitation 
from it, and it has then, after a period, passed away. 
Mr. Gattoway. [think not. The thing is existing in Mexico and 
and: doing as much damage there as it ever did. 
The Cuartrmayn. Do they continue to raise cotton there? 
Mr. Gattoway. They raise cotton in certain sections where the 
weevil does not exist or can not exist owing to climatic conditions. 
There are certain elevated portions of Mexico where I understand 
they can grow cotton, but we do not have any such climatic conditions 
in she <n _ 
Mr. BURLESON. ey were forced to abandon the cultur 
in the infested districts of Mexico. a 
