14 HEARINGS BEFORE COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE. 
the main reasons why we regard a general bill of this sort as abso- 
lutely essential. If you attempt to make specific appropriations, you 
only limit the power and practical business effect of the organized 
effort or plan. 
Mr. Scorr. Do these weevils prey upon any other plant? 
Mr. Burerss. No; I think not. 
Mr. Scorr. Where do they harbor during winter? 
Mr. Burcsss. In the stalks, under the bark of the cotton stalks, in 
some instances, under the bark of logs in the fields and places of that 
sort where they get shelter. 
Mr. Scorr. Haveany experiments ever been made looking to destroy- 
ing the weevil during that period of its life? 
Mr. Burcess. J think Doctor Howard and his assistants have devoted 
a good deal of attention to that, and are still doing it. 
Mr. Burteson. Unquestionably. There have been repeated experi- 
ments. 
Mr. Burecess. A great many experiments have been made, and a 
great deal of study and thought has been given to it, but I am not 
advised that any method has yet been discovered of striking them in 
that stage. I think that is a wise suggestion, and that method of 
procedure ought to be closely and scientifically pursued, because if 
these fellows can be wiped out in the winter that ends the proposition. 
Mr. Burweson. In large numbers they leave the fields in the winter 
aud hibernate in the woods. 
The Cuarrman. What percentage of the crop do they destroy on 
the average? The entire crop? 
Mr. Bureess. Take my county, Mr. Wadsworth. That is a pretty 
oo I think they have destroyed 50 per cent of the crop, 
easily. 
Mr. Grarr. Take it in a field where they appear, do they clean. 
out the whole field? 
Mr. Bureegss. In the field they run as high as from 10 to 60, 70, or 80 
per cent. To illustrate: One of the largest planters in my county 
plants 2,200 acres in cotton and has made as high as 1,700 bales. In 
that field he will make this year 103 bales. 
Mr. Apams. Is spraying possible practically, or is it too expensive? 
Mr. Buresss. If you could catch him and spray him, that would 
solve the difficulty; but the trouble is he gets in under the square, 
Mr. Adams. Did you ever see a cotton square? 
Mr. Apams. No. 
Mr. Burcrss. Suppose this [illustrating] is the embryo boll and 
suppose four pretty nice leaves meet in this way. Over this embryo 
ae or boll this fellow gets in under these leaves and goes on this 
oll. 
Mr. Apams. He has to be somewhere else before he gets in there. 
Mr. Burcess. That is true; but he gets in there with lightning 
rapidity. We have tried a great many experiments on the line of spray- 
ing him. We have tried it with sulphur fumes and arsenic and Paris 
green and almost everything you can think of. It undoubtedly does 
kill some of them. 
Mr. Haucen. About how many bales of cotton do you produce in 
Texas? : 
Mr. Buresss. It is estimated that in Texas and in the Indian Terri- 
tory together we produce ordinarily something over a three million 
bale crop, about a third of the total production of the United States. 
