112 



rapidly growing variety, fertilization, and thorough cultivation. The 

 success of the planter will be in direct proportion to the extent to 

 which he is able to combine these essentials. Early planting of early 

 varieties will be found to be of comparatively little avail unless fol- 

 lowed by thorough cultivation, and in case of unavoidably delayed 

 planting the best hope of the planter will be in persistent cultivation. 

 As the details of the cultural method have been dealt with fully in 

 the Farmers' Bulletins of this Department, and as the basis for them 

 in the habits of the weevil was fully explained in the preceding pages, 

 it is unnecessary in this connection to more than summarize them: 



(1) Fall destruction. 



(2) Early planting of rapidly maturing varieties. 



(3) Wide spacing, which, besides favoring rapid maturity of the 

 plant, also acts as a remedial measure by allowing the sun to reach 

 the ground and causing the drying up of the squares in which the 

 larvfe occur. 



(4) Thorough cultivation. 



(5) Fertilization with commercial preparations containing high per- 

 centage of phosphoric acid. 



In addition to this general system that is applicable to all cotton 

 plantations, favorable labor conditions sometimes make it feasible to 

 pick the infested squares by hand. Nothing could be more out of 

 place than to suggest hand picking upon large plantations. Even with 

 convict labor it has been found entirely impracticable. But, never- 

 theless, where a planter has only a few acres of cotton and there is 

 an abundance of cheap labor, such as that of children, the method 

 has been found very effective. 



FUTILE MEANS. 



The very serious nature of the boll weevil problem is constantly 

 illustrated by the manner in which various useless devices and nos- 

 trums are brought to public attention. At one time it was widely 

 spread about that mineral paint would act as a specific against the 

 weevil. An equally fallacious theory that also received considerable 

 popular attention was to the effect that cotton-seed meal exerted a 

 powerful attraction for the pest. 



Probably the most important useless recommendation has been that 

 of spraying. It was supposed for some time by certain parties that it 

 might be possible to poison weevils economically by attracting them 

 to some sweetened preparation. The experiments detailed on pages 52 

 to 56 of this bulletin regarding the attraction of various sweetened 

 substances demonstrate the fallacy of the theory. Even if these sub- 

 stances exerted as much attraction as was supposed, there would be 

 insurmountable difficulties in the application of the method in the 

 field. Spraying of a field crop has never been a success and, unless 

 entirely new methods are eventually perfected, never will be of any 

 practical importance. It is true that it is possible to destroy a cer- 



