r • 



TNFI.rKXCK ol' I'KlMon ol' 1 N IM.S lAlK )N . r).S 



to account for tlu^ dispai-it y if (he condil ions of ('\|)(»sui-(' lo \]\r ^im- 

 shiiu* \\'(MV at all similar. 'V\w diWevvnrc of :>.") \)vv cciil aiiuni^ (he 

 han<:ini^ forms is not ii:i-(nit and it sihmus rcasonaMc to assume lli.-it a 

 ii;('ii(M'ally more* (1(Mis(> shade may liaxc proteeled llie fallen foiiiis in 

 Louisiana. Tliis would i)ossil)ly favor ant work hut he unfaNoraMe 

 for (lest ruction hy heat and hy j)arasil(>s in fallen h)rnis. 



r'rom Tahle X, as a hasis of eompaiMson of ai'eas which haxc heen 

 infestiMJ h)i- dill'ercMit j)eriods of lime, it appeal's thai in the leiiitorx 

 inf(>st(»(i hut ahout two y(Mirs tin* parasite attack amonnls to (.nl\ 

 ahout two-thirds as much as it does where the weexils ha\o heen 

 present h)r an averaji;e of live years." in neither ease are they sufli- 

 ciently al)undant to bo considered as a factor of great importance at 

 j)res(Mit. hut rec(Mit c\\j)eriments indicate that it may he possible to 

 grcMitly increase tluMr utility in the future. The Solenopsis ants do 

 not seem to recjuire a long period of time to become accustomed to 

 the weevil's presence, but attack the stages readily and |)i-ol)ahly in 

 proportion to the abundance of the ants. It would seem that the 

 elV(M'tiveness of heat may have been increased ])y tlie methods of 

 cultivation of cotton which have hcou adopted l)y the planters in tlu^ 

 ol(l(M" infested region in T(^xas. 



EFFICIENCY OF NATURAL CONTROL IN VARIOUS SECTIONS. 



In the sectional reports of the Weather Bureau for Texas the 

 localities from which observations are reported are divided into seven 

 sections, according to their geographic location and their simi- 

 larity in regard to chmatic conditions. In making a more detailed 

 locality study of the natural control of the boll weevil, it seems 

 advisable to group the localities which have been examined upon the 

 same general basis as has been done in grouping them for weather 

 observations. The first two groups, western Louisiana and eastern 

 Texas, have very similar conditions of climate, soil, flora, and fauna. 

 In the group designated as southern Texas are found those localities 

 which iivo included in the Weather Bureau reports as in the ''coast" 

 district, together with Cuero and Ilallettsville from the ''south- 

 western" district. These localities would seem to be more closely 

 identified with the conditions of the coast district than with thos(^ of 

 southwestern Texas so far as weevil conditions are concerned. l-\)r our 

 present purposes, therefore, we have formed five groups of localit ies in 

 Texas and one in western Louisiana. It is somewhat unfoitunate 

 that the limitations of the printed page prevent the association of all 

 the data which should be considered in a study of this kind, and it is also 

 realized that it is a difficult matter to make comparisons and to draw 

 conclusions from a table even as extensive as is Table XI. We believe, 

 however, that it is better to present these data, so that anyone who 

 may care to stucf\^ the subject more fully than can be (loiu* in this 

 bulletin may have the opportunity of referring to these figures. 



