The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1904-01-26
Department of Agriculture VIII
Conduct Experimental Farms
in Southwest.
HOPES TO EXTERMINATE PEST.
Parasites Will Be Imported From
the Home of the Weevil in
Endeavor to Destroy
tho Insect.
The Republic Bureau.

Mas ts''
Washington. Jan. 25.-Thc Secretary o
Agriculture has approved the plans for
the cotton boil weevil investigation in the
Southwest. for which a special appropria-
ton Of $4,000 has been made available.
Secretary Wilson believes that the best
methods for meeting the ravages caused
by the boil weevil will be to put into
actual practice the facts which have been
accumulated by the department during the
las; two years in the matter of improving
cultural conditions, the planting of early
maturing varieties of cotton. substitution
of other crops. and so forth. The plans
approved. which were submitted by Doc
tor b. T. Galloway, Chief of the Bureau
of Plant Industry, and Doctor Howard,
Chief of the Division of Entomology. en-
body the following lines of investigation:
PLAN OF WORK.
Farmers cooperative demonstration
work will involve the organization of
farmers in Texas and adjacent States in
such a way as to secure the cultivation
of tracts of cotton under specific instruc-
tions under the Department of Agricul-
ture. Thus a definite working plan Will
be given to each farmer. the farmer him
self 10 furnish the seed and fertilizers if
such are required. These acres of cotton
will serve as object lessons and will be
planned to show the practicability of
growing cotton, despite the presence of
the weevil. Similar work will be carried
on in Louisiana, where the weevil has not
YET advanced. 1t is planned to have 5000
OF lO.o0 farmers engaged in this work.
Breeding and selection work will have
for its object the improvement of present
varieties of cotton. with a view to making
them more prolific and earlier, so as to
prevent the ravages of the weevil. The
work will be conducted on experimental
farms. which will be selected with due re-
spect 10 climatic. soil and other condi-
tons.
The bill making the appropriation di-
reefs the Secretary to Investigate other
insects and diseases. and one serious
malady which will receive attention is
the so-called c]otton-root rot. This work
Will be in the direction of securing i'm
mune varieties by selection and breeding
and the testing of types that already have
been selected.
DlVBRSIFICATION.
D'versification of crops is considered one
OF the most important lines of work. and
VIII nave for its object demonstration
WORK IN the direction Of growing crops
other than cotton and of forage crops
with cotton. Diversification farms will be
secured by cooperation with the farmers
themselves Thirteen Of these farms VIII
ne located in Texas, five in Louisiana.
three in Mississippi, and several in other
cotton-growing States.
Inc foregoing work will be looked after
the Bureau Of Plant Industry. The di- |
vision of entomology will continue its in
designations on experiment farms. Thir- |
teei, farms for the growing of cotton will
be located in Texas. and the Investigations
conducted will have for their object the |
determination of numerous questions re!a-
tive to combating the boil weevil. which
nave not yet been definitely settled. The
of the effect of fertilizers on the |
early maturing of cottons will be consid-
cred. 1t is planned that these farms shall
about 100 acres each.
WEEVIL PARASITES.
Investigations Of parasites in the orig
inal home of the weevil will be made, the |
being to introduce these parasites
into Texas. with the hope of securing the
through them of the boil
their fumiSation and general expense at
tending he certification required by State
Will he another line of work con-
by the ~entomologist.
Investigations into the life history and
bits Of the weevil and for the general
testing of pOisons and machines will also
be made; This work will be carried on
in the boll-weevil-infested dis
trict. Inves isations of other disease than
the cotton boil weevil. including the de-
cotton boil worm. which is one
Of the most serious pests in several South
ern cotton-growing States, will be carried
IN.
Thu organization of the work on the CO.
demonstration farms has begun
inder the charge of Doctor S. A. Knapp,
who is now in Texas.
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