98 



growth, of larvae within, thus producing quickly a large number of 

 weevils ready to do further injury. 



It is still an open question as to how low winter temperatures the 

 weevil can withstand. It is certain that in southern Texas many 

 larvae and pupae slowly continue their development during the winter 

 season. Mr. S. G. Borden, of Sharpsburg, Tex., in a letter written 

 January 27, 1896, says: "Hands clearing up cotton stalks report 

 plenty of the larvae in dry bolls." Mr. Schwarz found weevils hiber- 

 nating in all stages, except the egg, at Victoria, Tex., during Febru- 

 ary, 1902. At the same locality in January and February of 1904, the 

 weevils in larval, pupal, and adult stages were taken alive from dry 

 bolls by Mr. J. D. Mitchell, a resident and cotton planter of that place. 



After the weevils first made their appearance at San Antonio in the 

 fall of 1895 they were supposed to have been entirely destroyed by 

 frosts during the following winter. The lowest temperature recorded 

 at San Antonio for that winter was 26° F. on December 30, 1895. 

 On January 2, 1896, Professor Townsend made an examination of the 

 condition of the weevil, and, so far as he found, all larvae in bolls were 

 then dead, while pupae and adults were all alive. In spite of the mild- 

 ness of the remainder of the winter the weevils did no damage to the 

 crop of 1896, and were not found in fields in which they were present 

 the year before. In writing of this unexpected condition, on October 

 19, 1896, Professor Townsend says, "The timely drought of last of 

 May and first of June is what killed the weevils this year." There is 

 therefore some doubt as to whether frosts or drought were responsible 

 for the destruction of the weevils at San Antonio in 1896. 



At Victoria, on February 17, 1903, the lowest temperature recorded 

 by the Weather Bureau report was 20° F., but many weevils hiber- 

 nated successfully. Doubtless much lower temperatures than this 

 were experienced in more northern localities in the weevil belt, but 

 in no place have the weevils been exterminated thereby. 



EFFECT OF RAINS UPON DEVELOPMENT OF WEEVILS. 



While it is a mistaken idea that rains first bring the weevils, it is 

 true that they favor weevil increase in several ways. Frequent rains 

 increase the growth of the plant and lead to the production of a larger 

 number of squares which may become infested. Driving rains knock 

 off infested squares, and by softening and moistening the food hasten 

 the development of the larvae within. Squares which are already 

 upon the ground are protected during rainy weather from sunshine 

 and drying. Rain hinders the enemies of the weevil far more than it 

 does the development of the weevils themselves. In several such 

 ways rains contribute directly or indirectly to the more rapid multi- 

 plication of weevils and cause the common impression among cotton 

 planters alluded to above. 



