keep it open, are of no practical value on large plantations. Since cotton is the 

 sole food-plant of this weevil, the cutting off of the food supply in autumn by de- 

 stroying the cotton stalks would prevent many from hibernating. All dead timber 

 and hollow trees that are the favorite hibernating places should be destroyed, and 

 cotton should not be planted on areas adjacent to woods and forest. The early 

 planting of early maturing varieties of cotton is an additional safeguard. 



1916 - Coad, B. R. Cotton boll weevil control in the Mississippi Delta with special ref- 



erence to square picking and weevil picking. U. S. D„ A. B. 382:12. July 8. 



The heavy rainfall prevailing in the delta region of Mississippi favors the 

 survival of the cotton boll weevil in fallen squares. Tests were, therefore, made 

 to determine the value of collecting hibernating weevils from the plants in spring 

 and of destroying fallen squares. In 1915 square picking was begun on June 16 and 

 was repeated at intervals of 7 days until July 14. Comparison with a control plot 

 showed an increase of 23% of seed cotton in the picked plot. Beneficial results 

 were obtained by collecting weevils from standing plants, by shaking them into 

 sacks held below the plant and destroying them by means of water covered with a 

 layer of kerosene. This method proved to be superior to hand picking, since, in 

 the latter, weevils were liable to be overlooked or to fall to the ground when plants 

 are disturbed. When, however, the cost of labor was taken into consideration, the 

 margin of profit appeared to be too slight to render these measures of commer- 

 cial value. 



1917 - Bentley, G. M. The cotton boll weevil in Tennessee. Tenn, State Bd. Ent. B. 22, 



14 p., 24 fig. Sept. Knoxville. 



The status of the boll weevil situation in Tennessee in 1917 for the purpose of 

 familiarizing cotton growers with the habits of Anthonomus grandis and methods 

 of dealing with it. Of these, the most effective involved the starvation of late 

 broods by doing away with the cotton which develops from late maturing bolls, 

 and the selection of strains of early maturing cotton, the growth of which may be 

 further advanced by intensively cultivating a small acreage. Dusting with lead 

 arsenate also proved efficacious, the poison being taken up by the boll weevil in 

 drinking the rain or dew adhering to the plant. 



1917 - Coad, B. R., and T. F. McGehee. Collection of weevils and infested squares as a 

 means of control of the cotton boll weevil in the Mississippi Delta. U. S. D. A. 

 B. 564:51, 2 pi. Oct. 4. 



The experiment on cotton boll weevil control made in 1915 was continued 

 with the special object of ascertaining the value of various methods of collecting 

 boll weevils and infested cotton bolls as a means of control. It was found that 

 picking operations were a complete failure in exerting any appreciable effect on 

 the infestation, the maximum amount of benefit being derived during a year of 

 light infestation. In average years there is a great excess of weevils for producing 

 the maximum injury to the crop, and a considerable number of these can be re- 

 moved without appreciably increasing the crop secured. This is especially dis- 

 couraging in view of the fact that in a year of heavy infestation the control meas- 

 ure is most needed. 



The use of the bag-and-hoop as a means of collecting the weevils proved to 

 have a most injurious effect on the plants. The loss of the terminal buds, due to 

 the shaking, and the constant bending resulted in a dwarfed bushy growth. A 

 mechanical collector driven between the rows while the plants were violently 

 agitated was equally unsatisfactory, badly breaking the stems when driven close 

 enough to catch the weevils. As a mechanical picker seemed to be the only solu- 

 tion to the labor problem involved in the collection of the weevils and squares, 

 failure to give satisfactory results was very discouraging. 



1917 - Pierce, W. D. How insects affect the cotton plant and means of combating them. 

 U. S. D. A. Farmers' B. 890:27, 36 fig. Dec. 



The principal pests of cotton are dealt with, the particular damage done by 

 each being indicated. The squares, flowers, and buds are damaged by Anthonomus 



89 



