THE PINK BOT.LWORM 27 
PRESENT STATUS 
The most noteworthy feature of the present status of the infesta- 
tions which have been discovered in the United States is that they 
fall into two groups. One of these includes the infested districts 
found in western Texas and New Mexico; the Big Bend, Pecos, 
Carlsbad, El Paso Valley, and Mesilla Valley. All these show in- 
festations continuing from year to year, with breaks of no great 
significance in some instances. 
The other group includes all districts in which infestations have 
appeared in the United States, except those just named. They are 
six in number, four of which are in eastern Texas and two in west- 
ern Louisiana. Following are the latest years in which infestation 
has been known to exist in the several districts : Hearne, 1917 ; Cam- 
eron. 1919: Shreveport, 1920; and Trinitv Bav. Ennis, and Ma- 
rilee, 1921. 
In the eastern areas the success of the efforts at eradication ap- 
pears to be strongly indicated. It is by no means certain that 
eradication has actually been accomplished in all these six districts, 
one of which included all or parts of seven counties. The extremely 
slight infestation, involving enormous difficulties in finding it, the 
longevity of the insect, and the insidious nature of its work, all sug- 
gest the possibility of a new infestation, to be eventually discovered 
in one or more of these districts. This possibility, however, is de- 
cidedly remote, so thoroughly has the scouting been done. In the 
more heavily infested places in the Trinity Bay area, the scouting 
included the examination of every boll and bur left on the plants 
after picking the cotton in fields planted after the termination of 
the noncotton zones. Such a possible infestation, however, would not 
be a serious matter, as the methods of eradication already worked out 
have been highly effective and are available at any time. 
A great danger lies in the possibility that there may be infesta- 
tions in unsuspected localities in the United States. The systematic 
search through practically the entire Cotton Belt by the Department 
of Agriculture and by the various State agencies has reduced this 
possibility to perhaps a negligible item. If any infestations are 
discovered, the perfection of the known methods of eradication will 
greatly facilitate, if not insure, their elimination. 
Although the situation as regards the eastern infestations, many of 
which are in solid cotton territory, may be said to be satisfactory, 
the situation in the western areas is not so favorable. In these, on 
account of their proximity to Mexico, it has been impossible to take 
steps toward eradication, such as the establishment of temporary 
noncotton zones. Permanent noncotton zones would be required, and 
these have been impracticable on account of economic and other 
conditions. The danger of the spread of the insect from the western 
areas is by no means as great as might appear. In the first place, 
there is a barrier of 200 miles or more where no cotton is planted. 
The areas are also under quarantine, and all materials which could 
possibly carry the infestation from them are safeguarded. The 
volume ot the infestation is greatly lessened by the requirement 
that all seed produced be disinfected by heat as a part of the process 
of ginning. Climatic conditions are also holding the insect to small 
numbers. The districts are of considerable elevation, ranging from 
