The Boll Weevil, Then And Now

Ron Smith, Alabama's Extension Cotton Entomologist Emeritus, has lived a good deal of the history of the boll weevil in the South. Now, Smith has developed a lecture on the subject, going back to the very entry of the pest into this country and tracing it through the so-far-successful attempt to eradicate it.

"The impact of the boll weevil on the South's economic life is second only to that of the Civil War," says Smith, who has been invited to share his insights with history groups and as part of a museum lecture series. It's a fascinating talk, full of things you've probably never heard about the pest and its role in shaping modern Southern agriculture.

One of his recent lectures was recorded on video, and his slide presentation accompanies his talk. Click here to view it:

http://wms.aces.edu/accordent/bollweevil/f.htm

It's best viewed on Internet Explorer, we've found.

-- Owen Taylor