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f 
throughout January in the Villalba section comprising about 1,000 acres 
of cotton and also at the same time around Coamo; a bad infestation also 
occurred during January at Guayanilla on the south coast and late in 
January at Carolina (comprising about 300 acres) on the north coast east 
of San Juan, which 1ms the same planting date as has the south-coast crop. 
It is believed from continued close personal observation that the leaf 
worm was present in injurious numbers somewhere in either the north or 
south coast (there is no cotton grown elsewhere) during every month in the 
year 1950 . Continued close observation on this point may throw some 
light upon the origin of the well-known periodicity of outbreaks of this 
insect. (Mr. Rorke.) 
The whole south coast, comprising 10,000 acres, is generally infested 
with the pink boll worm ( Pec t i nophora go ssypi el La Saund. )• Infested bolls 
were first noticed at the stai>t of picking in late December or early 
January and the number has steadily increased. The situation is very 
much worse than it was last year or during any previous year. Late in 
February a 3tjr-acre field near Ponce was found to have 95 per cent infested 
bolls. About one- third of the crop in the south coast was picked by 
February 28. The crop in the north coast (west of San Juan) is still 
composed only of young plants. .(Mr-.. Rorke. ) 
A cotton stainer ( Dysdercus andreae L. ) was more abundant than usual 
in cotton on the south coast during February and possibly part of January. 
(Mr. Rorke. ) 
A blister mite ( Eriophyes gossypii Banks) was common in one cotton 
field of several acres at Guayanilla during February. (Mr. Rorke. ) 
A leaf miner ( ffepticula gossypii Forb.) was fairly common on cotton at 
both Coamo and Guayanilla during' February. (Mr. Rorke. ) 
