"WXHE 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 necessary facts about boll-weevil control. 
Washington, D. C. Issued January, 1929; revised, July, 1930 
