126 ASSOCIATION OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGISTS. 



shipments of the articles referred to above. There is at least no evi- 

 dence to indicate that the enforcement of these regulations by the 

 commission has not accomplished as much in restricting the spread 

 of the boll weevil as could be accomplished by any agency subject to 

 human control. 



THE CAMPAIGN AGAINST THE BOLL WEEVIL IX THE TERRITORY ALREADY 



IXFESTED. 



In the territory which is already infested by the boll weevil the 

 commission has exerted every effort to furnish all planters and farm- 

 ers with accurate and detailed information regarding those farming 

 methods which must be employed to produce profitable crops of cot- 

 ton in spite of the weevil. The commission advocates, essentially, 

 the remedial cultural methods perfected by Dr. L. O. Howard and 

 Mr. W. D. Hunter, of the Bureau of Entomology. The dissemina- 

 tion of this information has been through the press, by means of bulle- 

 tins and circulars, by addresses at farmers' meetings, by the coopera- 

 tion of local business men in the distribution of literature, and by 

 actual field demonstrations in growing cotton in the heavily infested 

 sections under the direction of the assistant entomologists in the em- 

 ploy of the commission. In addition to this work, the commission has 

 conducted rather elaborate experiments in determining the value of 

 the different steps involved in the " cultural remedy, " as well as along 

 kindred lines. 



As Paris green has at times been enthusiastically advocated as a 

 sovereign boll-weevil remedy, the commission undertook during the 

 season just passed exhaustive experiments in determining the value 

 of this agent in the campaign against the weevil. The results were 

 somewhat surprising, as they showed that not only was the boll weevil 

 not affected by applications as heavy as could be made without de- 

 stroying the foliage of the cotton plants, but that the application of 

 Paris green in late summer, by destroying the cotton worm (Alabama 

 argillacea Hbn.), indirectly increased the food supply of the weevil, 

 facilitating breeding and furnishing an abundance of food, in the 

 form of squares and young bolls, right up to the time of entering 

 hibernation, thereby greatly increasing the weevils' chances for suc- 

 cessful survival of the rigors of winter. 



A " hibernation experiment " with the boll weevil, at present under 

 way. is perhaps the largest experiment that has ever been undertaken 

 in " breeding cages." In the neighborhood of 35.000 adult boll wee- 

 vils are being used in the experiment, distributed among 18 cages, 

 each of which occupies 160 square feet of ground and has a height of 

 about 8 feet. These cages contain hibernating quarters offering vary- 

 ing degrees of protection from rain and cold, simulating as nearly as 



