T 



'HE cotton-boll weevil is the most destructive 

 pest of the cotton crop. So rapid has been its 

 spread, since it first invaded a few counties in south- 

 ern Texas about 1892, that practically 90 per cent of 

 the entire Cotton Belt of the South is now infested. 

 This infested area produces about 90 per cent of 

 the cotton crop of the United States. The losses 

 suffered by cotton farmers during years of heavy 

 infestation by the boll weevil amount to many mil- 

 lions of dollars. The damage on individual farms 

 varies widely. Some years injury is only slight, in 

 others the cotton crop is seriously reduced. How to 

 control weevil damage effectively has been a prob- 

 lem of much concern to the cotton States and to the 

 Federal Government for many years. 



This publication tells the important facts about 

 the weevil; what it looks like, how it lives, how it 

 grows, the damage it does, and the different ways of 

 controlling it commonly used. Written in simple 

 language, it is intended especially for boys and girls, 

 although it should be ^useful also to grown-ups who 

 want to learn about the weevil and how to fight 

 it. Teachers, club leaders, and extension workers 

 also should find this publication of value in teaching 

 the necessarv facts about boll-weevil control. 



Washington, J). C. Issued January, 1929 



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