162 



which have 'been suggested by the study of the life history of the pest 

 as useful iu avoiding damage. Consequently the cultural system is 

 not altogether a system of the proper cultivation of cotton, but a 

 system of the proper cultivation of cotton to mitigate the damage by 

 the pest. Necessarily it implies a thorough preparation of the soil 

 and a strict attention to all the details of cultivation. 



The cultural method begins with reducing the numbers of the pest in 

 the fall by the destruction of the plants as soon as it becomes apparent 

 that no more cotton is to be produced. The enormous importance of 

 this procedure is shown by the fact already stated (p. 106) that the 

 late issuing weevils are the ones which successfully hibernate. Fur- 

 ther strong reasons are given on pages 120 and 121, under the sections 

 "Relations of weevils to top crop" and "Some reasons for the early 

 destruction of stalks."* Hosts of weevils may thus be killed, a very 

 small percentage surviving the winter, and in the same operation the 

 ground is better prepared for planting the following season. A large 

 proportion of the weevils thus destroyed would otherwise pass through 

 the winter successfully and increase the damage to the planted cotton 

 the following season. Wherever the cotton is allowed to stand in the 

 fields in the hope that a top crop may be produced, opportunities are 

 furnished for the development of a very large number of weevils (PL 

 XVIII, figs. 76 and 77). As explained before in this bulletin, the pos- 

 sibility of a top crop has always been exceedingly remote. Wherever 

 the weevil exists it is not a possibility at all. The method of fall 

 destruction only involves applying labor that is necessary in any case 

 in preparing the land for planting a few months earlier than is the 

 normal practice among cotton planters. It has been the custom to 

 leave the land uncleared until shortly before planting time in the 

 spring. Xow. however, this clearing process is necessary as the last 

 step in the production of the preceding crop. This method, as a mat- 

 ter of fact, is the only practicable strictly remedial method that has 

 been devised. 



The complete derails regarding the fall destruction of the pla 

 will be found in -Circular 5$ of this Bureau. 



The remaining portion of the cultural method consists in furthering 

 the advantage o-ained by fall destruction bv bending everv effort 

 toward obtaining a crop that will mature before the weevils hare had 

 an opportunity to do considerable damage. The most important fac- 

 tors in obtaining an early crop are early planting, selection of a 

 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. 



