The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1904-12-14
Baking the BOIL HEEVIL.
The Task That the Convention of
Southern Farmers has Before 1t.

New Orleans, Dec. 5.-The Nation
al Boil Weevil Convention to be held
as Shreveport, Louisiana. Dec. II to
18th, and which will be attended by
delegates from many states both east
aud west OF the Mississippi River.
has cat ont for it, a task, the success
OF which means the salvation, and the
failure of which means possibly the
eventual destruction or serious curtail-
mens OF the South's great staple. This
subject will be discussed in far
broader and more comprehensive man
ner than ever before in the effort to
find ways and means to check the east
ward progress Of the weeviI over
Southern cotton 1eids.
Preparations have been made to
have present many of>the most dis
tinguished scientist Of the country to
confer with the practicalplanters aud 1t
Isl believed some substantial benefit
will result and a device Will be found
to check II not totally eliminate the
pest with threatens the very life OF
Southern prosperity.
Planters, cotton men, spinners and
stasistScians are agreed that this
seasons cotton crop. favored in every
possible way by ideal weather, has
taxed the labor and the acreage OF
the South to the almost degree. The
perfect combination of circumstances,
which may not be duplicated in a
generation, has resulted in record
breaking crop.s Undoubtedly. the
SINNERS will consume far more cotton
this season than ever before in the
history of the industry, and just so
long as the South continues to supply
all the cotton the spinners require no
very strenuous Or sweepingly concert
ed effort viii be made TO make India,
frica or Australia big cotton produc-
ers.
The rapid encroachment of the boil
weeEil, however, is having very Sc
rious effect on the confidence OF foreign
spinners who, docking ahead several
Years, are wondering where their sup
plies OF raw cotton are to come from
when the bod weevil will have devas-
sated all the fields west and possibly
east Of the Mississippi. as they have
done in Southern Texas, and when the
American mills shall have greatly in
creased their annual takings.
Every yea the wor rid requires In
creased quantities of clothing, and
the manufacturers of DRY goods re-
auire increased eoantities Of raw cot
ton.
For a hundred wears to come the
South can and will produce all the
cotton the world will require. pro-
vided the progressive rsyages Of the
boil weeyil be checked. In the boil
weeyil infested districts ten acres in
many instances fan to yield one bale
of cotton. Experts assert this will be
the coudition1of the entire cotton belS,
unless some successful method Of de-
stroying the boil weevil be found i'm
mediafely. ;.
Governor Vardaman, of Mississippi,
whose recent telegram to President
Francie of the Lonisiana Purchase
Exposition in regard TO President
Roosevelt has caased widespread
comment, will preside over the delib-
e-atioas of the coDveOgion.
The deepest interest IN the coming
convention is being taken by leading
citizens throughout the South, and by
the Northern and foreign cotton inter
ests
Success will mean nach to the
Son tb. but should the delegates fail
to fnd a remedy for the boil weevil
evil. il will mean nothing less than
calamity to the cotton Industry OF the
South within q very few years. There
fore many prominent meg, who have
given the matter deep thought. are
personally urging the various sections
of the several states to send full dele
cations TO Shreveport on December
18th.