The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1903-12-11
I erlnessee State News
Tennessee Seed Cotton.

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There is hardly a farmer in the
South who has not read or heard
about the ravages of the boil weevil,
which has spread over the State of
Texas with such wonderful rapidity,
causing the destruction of thou
sands of bales of cotton and making
it difficult to cultivate the fleecy sta
pie over great sections of that State.
From present indications this pest
will soon spread into many other
Southern States. A good deal of
money has been expended by the
State of Texas and the United
States government has sent force
of experts there to study the life
history of the boil weevil and see if
some means of combating its ravages
cannot be discovered. So far the re-
suits have been anything but en-
couraging, and it would seem now
that one of the few feasible means
of checkmating it is through the
growth of early maturing varieties
of cotton.
1t is a well known fact that as We
travel northward the ripening period
of all crops decreases. This is true
of Indian corn, sorghum, COW peas,
cotton and all other farm crops.
There is a northern boundary beyond
which a crop cannot be grown profit
ably, and in the case of cotton this Is
found for all practical purposes in
Tennessee. AS the cotton produced
in Tennessee natures in a shorter
period than that produced in Texas,
and one of the best means of combat
ing the ravages of the boil weevil is
through the use of early maturing
varieties, there is now opening up a
golden opportunity for the produc-
ton of seed cotton by Tennessee
farmers to supply the regions lying
to the south with early maturing va
rieties. That this opportunity is
not a passing one is well established
by the fact that seeds of various ce-
real crops when carried southwark
do not mature after the first year as
soon as they did in their northern
home, and certainly after the second
year it takes the crop practically as
long to mature as that produced
from homegrown seed. Thus the
market is likely to be a permanent
one, unless some other means of sue
cessfully combating the ravages OF
the boil weevil is discovered, which
does not seem likely at the present
time.
1t will require an immense amount
of seed cotton to supply the needs OF
| Southern planters in the area affect
ed, and that they are anxious to Sc
cure Tennessee seed is evidenced by
the following liter, which is self-ex-
planatory:
Shreveport, La.
Dear Sir-I am looking about where
| l might buy somewhere in your State
| a carload of cottonseed for planting
| purposes to eYade, as much as posi-
BILE, the damage inflicted by the boil
weevil; that is, l am after some kind
of early maturing cotton with a staple
measuring at least one-eighth to three
sixteenths over one inch in length.
| am told that the variety named Ten
| nessee Gold Dust, or that named King,
are early cottons, but know nothing
about the quality of the lint. If pos
| sible, will you be so kind and direct
me to parties, possibly located near
| Memphis, from whom l might obtain
| this seed, or any other kind which
| you know will fill my bill, or has de-
sirable qualities?
This is but one of many Of similar
character that are being received at
the experiment station, and it has
been deemed advisable to ask the
newspapers to publish this letter fol-
the benefit of the farmers who may
have cotton seed of known origin
and true to name of early maturing
varieties for sale. 1t is quite likely
that they could secure a good round
price for the seed this year if they
will preserve it in good condition
and as much of it has already been
sold to the oil mills, and it is likely
that the balance will soon follow, il
is important that the farmers be no.
titled of this opportunity to dispose
of their cotton seed under the most
favorably auspices.
ANDREW NJ. SOULE,
Director Tenn. Experiment Station