50 ANNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, 1935 
each recleaning a much smaller Dumber of plants la encountered, Indicating that 
progress is being made, a Dumber ol locations where wild cotton prevl 
occurred were found to be entirely free of plants this last season 
When the eradication of wild cotton was first begun many plants were found 
growing in almost solid rock on some of the keys. The removal of these plants 
without breaking « IT some Of the roots, which would put out sprout plants, 
appeared to ho quite a problem, and some experiments were begun to deter> 
mine the practicability of destroying wild cotton with poison. Excellent results 
were obtained, therefore the poisoning method was used throughout the past 
season. As tin 1 poisoning treatment alone is rather expensive, however, it has 
been used only where the plants were growing in reeky places. 
Mention has heen made in previous reports of the small experimental plant- 
ings of cultivated and wild cotton in the United States riant Introduction 
Gardens at Chapman Field. In cooperation with the r.ureau of riant Industry, 
all fruit from this cotton was removed and inspected. On several different 
occasions specimens of the pink hollworm were found in this cotton. At the 
beginning of the fiscal year it was not considered worth while to maintain these 
plantings any longer for inspection purposes; therefore, the officials of Chap- 
man Field moved all of the valuable plants into a screened house and destroyed 
the remaining ones. 
CONTROL PROGRAM IN THE BIG BEND AREA OF TEXAS 
The special control program begun in the Big Bend area 2 years ago was 
continued. This program is for the purpose of reducing the heavy infestation 
and thereby lessening the danger of the spread of the pest to the main Cotton 
Belt. The measures consist of thorough clean-up of fields and premises. 
picking is completed, delayed planting the following spring, and the us 
small plots of cotton to trap the late-emerging moths. In the spring of 1!>34. 
28 trap plots were used, and these were continued until about the First of 
August, at which time the held cotton had reached approximately the same 
size and fruiting Stage. The hloonis were collected daily and worms had 
found in all hut '.) of the plots; in only 5 of these, however, was the infesta- 
tion over 1 percent. At the time the plots were discontinued infestation had 
been found in 13 adjacent fields, and in only 1 field was the infestat on over 
1 percent This indicated that the infestation was building up very slowly. 
No regular gin-trash inspections were made, but during September a few inci- 
dental inspections were made as time permitted. On September 10. 6,891 larvae 
were taken from the trash of 17 bales; on September 17, trash from 10 hales 
contained 925 worms: on September 23, trash from 17 hales contained 9.363 
worms; and on October 8, trash from 12 hales contained P.St;:: worms. It will 
he noted from the foregoing figures that the average number of worms per hale 
ranged from abOUl 90 t" a little aver 800. The first cotton from a farm con- 
tained aboul 136 worms per hale in 1933 and 1.100 in 1932. Another farm 
had an average of about 336 worms from the first cotton in 1933 and 922 in 
1932. As the inspections made during the year under discussion were ahout 
a month later than those made in IP."'..*} and 1932, no accurate comparisons can 
he made: it will he noted, however, that the number is much smaller than 
ii, L932. Even though a rather large number of worms was found in the 1934 
Crop, there w;is very little, if any, held damage; in fact, for the first time since 
the pink hoiiworm became established in the Big Bend the farmers were able 
to pick cotton from the top crop of hulls. 
Field clean-up was begun on October 18, but it was about the first of Decem- 
ber before very much headway could he made. This was due to the fact that 
the top crop of bolls produced cotton, and consequently delayed the completion 
of picking. The most heavily infested fields had been cleaned before thi 
of November, and all clean-up was completed on January 12. a total of 
acres was cleaned at an average cosl or $4.12 per acre for labor and equipment. 
ThlS is an increase in the cost of cleaning over the 'J previous yean and 
is due partly to the fact that cotton began opening much earl er than usual. 
Consequently, the farmers Immediately began picking and gave the fields no 
further cultivation, with the ronlt that a considerable amount i>f weeds and 
L:r;i^< w:is produced, making clean -up more difficult The principal reason for 
the increase, however, was the fact that it was necessary to pay laborers a 
higher wave than during the previous two clean-ups. The field clean up was 
followed by a house to hOUSe canvass, and only three lots of seed cotton, total- 
ing 126 pounds, were found This was ;iii destroyed with the consent of the 
owners. 
