bring to your attention the very strong feeling of this board with respect to this situation.

to the second year and, either by this or other means, the insect has maintained itself in this district. The The board realizes fully that the recurrence of 1919, however, has continuation of a regulated zone in a been at fairly widely separated points region actually infested by the pink throughout this district, and very bollworm and bordered by vast cot- few infested plants and larvae have ton-growing areas of Texas, like that been found. Such recurrence is sigof the Trinity Bay district, would nificant chiefly in indicating that mean practically the abandonment enough insects are still present in of the effort to exterminate this in- the district to develop within a few sect. If such courses should be years full infestation and maximum undoubted adopted, it would become a question damage, together with whether the congress would be justi- rapid spread to greater areas. fied in continuing the appropriations to cover large scale clean-up work which would be constantly nullified by such growth of cotton in a district where it would be certainly infested. A regulated zone can do little more than restrict the spread of the insect and can not stamp it out, and would, therefore, mean the slow but inevitable spread throughout the cottongrowing States,

The results of the clean-up work of the winters of 1917-18 in the Hearne and Trinity Bay district and of 1918-19 in the Pecos district, together with the enforcement of noncotton zones for two years at Hearne, and for one year in the Trinity Bay district, give strong reason to anticipate the ultimate extermination of the pink bollworm if the more radical plan of establishing noncotton zones where needed is continued. The abandonment of this plan would mean the loss of everything that has been gained, including the advantagwe are now in. It

all the

The losses which this insect is now causing in Egypt, in Mexico, and in Brazil indicate that such spread in the South would result in a tax on the cotton crop of this country, ulti-eous position mately, of hundreds of millions of would mean further that dollars annually. The best methods Federal and State moneys heretofore of control which have been devised used for control work on the border in Egypt and elsewhere have not pre- and in Texas had been expended to vented a loss of approximately 20 no purpose. percent of the crop, and many of these Continuing to grow cotton in the methods could not be enforced in Trinity Bay district under whatever this country on account of the ex- regulations will simply mean the pense under our higher labor costs. further spread of the insect and the The board is convinced that there considerable enlargement of the area is but one method by which the ex- infested, and make difficult if not termination of this pest in Texas may impracticable the return later to the be accomplished, and that is by more radical action of enforcement At such time, ceasing to grow cotton in infested of noncotton zones. districts for a period of two or three even greater opposition may be antiyears. The results so far obtained cipated from planters, and the same come up for strongly support the possibility of legal questions may exterminating the pink bollworm by settlement so that nothing will be this method; for example, the in- gained in these respects by postponsect has not reappeared in the ing such action, and, moreover, Hearne district where a cotton-free valuable opportunity of combatting zone has been maintained beginning a serious pest may be lost. with 1918. The single non-cotton Under Federal funds this deparɩ year in the large Trinity Bay district ment, in cooperation with your State, was not sufficient, as shown by the is now completing a thoroughgoing reappearance of this insect through-clean-up of this district, which, in out this district in the fall of 1919; view of the slight infestation deteron the other hand, the stopping of the growth of cotton in 1918, although not fully enforced, has reduced this insect to neglible numbers as compared with the conditions of 1917. It is known that some of the larvae can carry over in the seed

a

mined, puts the plan of extermination on a very favorable basis. The general planting of cotton this year would make a similar clean-up next winter vastly expensive and it is even doubtful in view of all the circumstances whether congress would be

Notice is therefore hereby given that a public hearing be held at the Department of Agriculture, Washington, D. C., room 11, Federal Horticultural Board, at 10 o'clock a. m., April 6, 1920, in order that any perThe board urges further that the son interested in the proposed quarPink Bollworm Commission be in- antine may appear and be heard structed to reconsider its recommen-person or by attorney. dations with the understanding that the responsibility for the continuation or abandonment of the one opportunity for the extermination of this insect rests with the State authorities.

subject ourselves to the awful catastrophe which would be precipitated upon us by permitting them to plant cotton in such areas, when we should prohibit them from so doing, and pay them for the damage they suffer. We permitted the boll weevil to enter our State without taking drastic steps to destroy it, and it has not only been a plague to Texas since then, but has spread over practically the entire cotton-growing south. Let

terminating the pink bollworm and maintain the cotton free zone along The the border in order to avoid the greatest calamity that has ever threatened our welfare.

Sincerely,

lands the pink boll worm annually reduces the lint yield from 20 to 50 per cent and cuts the oil bearing qualities of the seed very materially, that the minimum loss in India from this pest is more than ten million dollars annually, and that it caused the abandonment of cotton cultivation in Hawaii, where in 1915 the loss in lint was from 50 to 99 per cent, the decision of the pink boll worm commission is not only a distinct disappointment, but is extremely alarming. us profit by experience. Practically all cotton growing areas The State should not hesitate to of the world except the United provide adequate funds to aid in exStates, are infested with the pink boll worm and the cotton production greatly reduced or destroyed. United States is free from this tenacious insect Scourge except small areas in South Texas. In these infested areas cotton planting and raising should be prohibited, and the State of Texas should compensate those who suffer a pecuniary loss thereby. This action should be taken immediately, and the State should provide funds to compensate those who may be prohibited from planting cotton in such infested areas The House has just passed an appropriation of three hundred and eightyfive thousand dollars to aid the State of Texas in the extermination of this destructive pest, and Texas should do her part or must suffer the quences, which are too terrible contemplate. Texas, raising as it does, four million bales of cotton annually, the loss will be staggering if the pest spreads throughout the State.

conse

to

Signed: C. A. Culberson, James Young, Rufus Hardy, J. P. Buchanan, Sam Rayburn, Tom Connally, John N. Garner, Marion Jones, Joe H. Eagle, Morris Sheppard, J. J. Mansfield, Lucian W. Parrish, Eugene Block, Thomas L. Blanton, Hatton w. Sumners, Carlos Bee, Fritz G.

Lanham.

"E" Copy.

U. S. Department of Agriculture
Division of Publications

Office of Information.

The pink boll worm situation

The Secretary of Agriculture today issued the following statement on the pink boll worm situation.

Under the laws of our country, it is within the powers of the Depart- "The pink boll worm menace has ment of Agriculture to quarantine in been prominently before the State of order to protect each state of the Texas for the past four years, since Union as far as it can, from infesta- its discovery in Mexico in 1916 and tion by injurious and destructive agri- the determination of its presence cultural pests. Therefore, with the over limited areas in Texas in the Link boll worm established in certain fall of 1919. countics of Texas, the other cotton producing states may demand a quarantine against cotton shipments in interstate commerce, and it may be the Department of Agriculture will grant such a demand, unless we follow their recommendation and establish a cotton free zone in the infested areas. With this quarantine established, each bale of cotton shipped from Texas will have to be fumigated, which will cost three dollars per bale. The risk we run is too great, the calamity we would be subject to is too severe to take the chances and

"The cotton and other interests of Texas are aware of the active effort that has been made by the Federal Government, in cooperation with the state, to eradicate the insect and to prevent its further entry from Mexico, and of the fact that Congress, during these years, has appropriated some $1,400,000, the greater part of which has been expended in Texas for the prosecution of the work. Some $600,000, for its continuation is provided in the bill making appropriation for the next fiscal year which is now pending in Congress.

Money Not Spared to Fight Pest.

"The campaign against the pink bollworm has included not only the clean-up of the infested areas at great cost to the Government, but also the maintenance of a border quarantine between the United States and Mexico, involving the control of all traffic between these two republics. Further than this, the Government has controlled the entry of foreign cotton, and has provided for its fumigation and disinfection at an expense of millions of dollars to the importers, this control extending even to the cotton mills and until the imported product is actually utilized in manufacture. There has been no halting as to appropriations or as to work to free Texas and other sections from the pink bollworm and to safeguard the United States from this new menace to the cotton crop and related industries. .

"The control operations prevented the further entry of the pest from foreign sources, and, up to last year, brought Texas to a very favorable situation with respect to the possible ultimate extermination of the insect. It has already been practically eliminated from two, if not three, of the areas known to be infested in that State, and in the larger Trinity Bay area the clean-up was so thorough that not a single specimen was found during the season of 1918. The work at the end of 1918 was, therefore, in a most advantageous position and there was every reason to anticipate its early successful completion.

non

ance of the pink bollworm in the dis-
trict, the authorities of the State
would promptly reestablish a
cotton zone for all infested areas and
maintain it for such period as might
be determined to be necessary to com-
plete the eradication of the pest. In
this agreement, the Department was
advised, the planters of the district
also joined.

Importance of Noncotton Zones.

"The unfortunate but natural result of this resumption of cotton planting has been the scattered reappearance of the pink bollworm over the entire area formerly infested, with some extensions into new territories. The fact that the insect can live over to the second year in larval stage probably largely accounts for the infestation of 1919, and this emphasizes the necessity of maintaining noncotton zones for a longer period, or probably for at least three years.

the

"This was the status of the work at the end of 1919. A new and very serious phase of the situation developed early in 1920 as the result of the failure of the State of Texas to carry out the program of control which had been promised if the insect should reappear in the quarantined and restricted district, namely, the reconversion of that district into a noncotton zone. This failure to act has been due to the strong opposition on the part of planters in the infested districts, and the apparent unwillingness on the part of the au"Unfortunately, at the end of that thorities to take the drastic action season the planters in the large Trin- which the situation required. ity Bay District made strong demands "An added danger resulted also that they should be permitted to grow from the determination, early in Febcotton in 1919 under restriction-ruary of this year, of the establishthese demands being based on the ment of the pink bollworm in southsuccess of the Federal clean-up opera- western Louisiana, in the parishes of tions and the apparent elimination of Cameron, Calcasieu and Jeff Davis. the pest. The experts of the depart- The reappearance of the insect in ment advised strongly against Texas and its discovery in Louisiana plan, realizing that complete success together present perhaps the most could not be obtained except by the serious situation which has ever conelimination of cotton culture for a fronted the cotton industry of the period of two, or preferably three, United States, and unless the work years. Ultimately, however, the which this situation necessitates can growth of cotton under restriction be promptly undertaken, both as to was allowed and the State Pink Boll- Louisiana and Texas, the results of worm Act was amended by the Leg- the efforts at extermination already islature to make such course possi- carried out in Texas will be lost and ble, but this was with the definite un- the pink bollworm will certainly get derstanding by the Federal Depart-out of hand and become a permanent ment of Agriculture that, if the and very serious limiting factor in growth of cotton in the invaded dis- the production of cotton in this trict should result in the reappear-country.

this

Situation in Louisiana Favorable.

"Promptly following the discovery of the infestation in Louisiana, the authorities of that state established drastic quarantine prohibiting the growth of cotton in the infested parishes, and, at a recent convention held in New Orleans, steps were taken to secure a large state fund for the purpose of aiding in control work and, particularly, for the reimbursement of planters in the quarantined districts for the net losses due to the prohibition of the growth of cotton. The situation at the present time, therefore, as to Louisiana is on as favorable a basis as could be desired, and this department has every reason to expect thoroughgoing cooperation in the clean-up and control work. If this cooperation is maintained, it seems probable that the insect can be eradicated in that state within two or three years.

cise on the part of Texas of the full powers given in the Pink Bollworm Act of 1919 of that state would do much to limit the need of drastic quarantine action, both State and Federal, which otherwise will undoubtedly have to be taken. Such state action, in fact, has either already been taken or is being contemplated by most of the other cotttongrowing states.

Extermination Depends on Prohibition of Cotton.

"The strongest emphasis has been placed on the fact that the extermination of the insect in Texas and Louisiana is absolutely contingent on the prohibition of the growth of cotton in infested areas. The growth of cotton under restrictions, or the adoption of other methods of control, will simply mean the perhaps slower, but no less certain, ultimate spread of the "Strong efforts have been made to pest. It has also been emphasized secure similar cooperation on the that extermination is possible only fart of Texas, such cooperation in under present conditions-in other fact as the state has hitherto given in words, when the infestation is just bethe work. These efforts have in-ginning and when the insect is scanty cluded petitions and memorials to in numbers and limited in distributhe Governor of Texas by the Texas tion. Any postponement or limitation, Representatives in Congress, the therefore, of the effort at this time Texas Board of Trade, and other im- would mean practically the loss of portant associations, and responsible the opportunity of extermination and citizens of the State, as well as defi- an acceptance of the ultimate spread nite and emphatic recommendations of the pest throughout the South. in letters and telegrams from this de- Furthermore, it has been strongly inFartment. Similar recommendations dicated that success in the eradication have been made by the Pink Boll- effort necessarily requires the comWorm Commission created under the plete cooperation of the States inTexas Pink Bollworm Act of 1919 volved in the measures outlined, and that, if the effort should fail through any halting in the work or any limitation on the methods which alone can bring success, the responsibility therefor will rest upon the persons or communities concerned.

"The one drawback to success now is the delay of Texas in establishing noncotton zones for the infested areas in that state, a delay which has already resulted in the planting of considerable portions of these areas to cotton. The destruction of this cotton later on, if authorized by the state, will simply mean that much greater cost to the state and the Federal Government.

"The department is advised that the interests in Texas related to cotton production and utilization are, for the most part, strongly in favor of the program of extermination and of pro"This department has urged, from vision by the State for such compenthe beginning, that, in view of the sation as may be just to the planters sacrifices made by the planters in in the districts which will be directly the invaded district in the interests affected by the prohibition of the of the state as a whole, steps should growth of cotton. It is also advised be taken by the state to reimburse that the normal production of cotton them for their net losses, following in in these districts represents only about this respect the example already set 1 per cent of the total production of by Louisiana. It has pointed out, the State and that, on account of unalso, that the control of the pink boll- favorable climatic conditions, a profitaworm is of vital interests to Texas. ble crop is secured only once in two as well as to all other cotton-produc- or three years. It recognizes that oping states, and that the prompt exer- position to the proposed prohibition on