22 ANNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, 1933 
at all times. Prior to the 1932 ginning season a survey was made of all sterilizer 
equipment and any serious defects corrected, so that seed sterilization was more 
efficient last season than ever before. A new method of installing the thermo- 
graph bulb was worked out by the Technological Division of the Bureau, and 
was in use at many of the gins. Practically all of the remaining ginners expect 
to make the installation before the next season, as it gives a more accurate 
reading and also results in considerable saving in fuel to the ginners. During 
the 1932 crop season, 126 machines were operated, and they handled approxi- 
mately 80,541 tons of seed. 
Supervision of oil mills. — The lack of oil mills in certain parts of the regulated 
areas makes it necessary to authorize mills outside, but close to such areas, to 
handle quarantined seed. This season the mills at Colorado and Sweetwater, 
Tex., were again designated, and after a regulated area was established in northern 
Florida, mills at Tifton, Camilla, and Valdosta, Ga., were designated. The 
seed is hauled to the mills in sealed cars and segregated until crushed, the cars 
being thoroughly cleaned before being released. The seed is required to be 
crushed in such manner as to destroy the pink bollworm and, to prevent con- 
tamination, finished products are required to be segregated until treated in 
accordance with the regulations. Approximately 80,000 tons of seed were 
crushed at the 20 mills operating this season. A number of mills are equipped 
with the roller system for treating second-cut or mill-run linters, 8,752 bales 
being so treated. 
Fumigation and compression. — Fumigation plants were operated at Alpine 
and El Paso, Tex., and Tucson and Phoenix, Ariz. The plant at Phoenix 
operated only a short time, as that area was released from the fumigation require- 
ment early in the season. The greater part of the regulated area is now desig- 
nated as lightly infested, so that only 7,150 bales of lint and 1,727 bales of linters 
were fumigated during the season. In addition, 212 bales of linters from the 
Juarez Valley of Mexico were imported and fumigated at El Paso, Tex. At the 
5 compression plants operated, 122,221 bales of lint and 2,684 bales of linters 
were compressed during the season. 
Road stations. — Road-inspection stations were operated at Alpine, Fort Davis, 
and Van Horn, Tex., and Las Cruces, N.Mex. The station was at first operated 
at Las Cruces as a further protection against the eastward movement of infested 
material from regulated areas of Arizona. After the fumigation requirement 
was removed from these areas it was not felt that this station was warranted, 
therefore it was discontinued on September 15, 1932. The three stations in 
Texas were established as a protection against the movement of infested material 
from the Big Bend area. After the clean-up was completed in the Big Bend, 
there was no material left which might spread infestation, therefore these three 
stations were discontinued on January 31, 1933. During the period the stations 
were in operation 36,307 automobiles were inspected, and 286 articles were 
confiscated. The material confiscated consisted of 172 lots of cottonseed, lint, 
or seed cotton, 5 cotton plants containing bolls, 5 cotton-picking sacks, 69 quilts, 
pillows, or mattresses, made of seed cotton, and 10 miscellaneous articles. In 
addition, 185 cotton-picking sacks were treated and passed, and 18 automobiles, 
trucks, and trailers were cleaned before being allowed to pass the station. Three 
of the confiscated articles were found to be infested with the pink bollworm, 
14 living and 14 dead larvae being taken. It is of interest to note that the 
live specimens were found in seed cotton, while the dead specimens were found 
in cottonseed which had been sterilized. 
Cooperation with Mexico. — In previous years some of the cotton produced in 
the Juarez Valley of Mexico, which is immediately adjacent to the El Paso 
Valley of Texas, has been imported into the United States. In order to facilitate 
the issuance of permits, gins in this area are equipped with seed sterilizers and 
are operated under the direct supervision of inspectors of this project. The 
two oil mills in that area are also operated under direct supervision, and as all 
the seed is sterilized, cake and meal produced at these mills are allowed entry 
into the United States under permit. The Mexican authorities and citizens 
involved have always given the best of cooperation in carrying on these 
activities. 
THURBERIA WEEVIL 
The principal characteristics of the Thurberia weevil and its importance have 
been fully discussed in previous reports. The area infested by this insect is the 
Santa Cruz Valley in Pima County, Ariz. The cotton acreage has decreased, 
due principally to the difficulty in obtaining water for irrigation, until there are 
now only some 800 acres in cultivated cotton. Field inspections were made 
