The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1904-03-02

where else, it vas decided to cstab-
llsh in that great State 1G of the sta
tlons, and as the pest has made it's
appearance in western Louisiana there
will be five stations in that State.
The others will be divided as fol-
!ows; Mississippi 3, Alabama 3, Gcor.
g!a :, South Carolina 2, and in the
cotton growing section Of Florida.
This is the first station which DR..
Splllmau has visited and from here he
goes to the other places where the
farmers will be given an cxcmplifica-
ton Of the doctrine preached by The
state for so many ycars-that the
South can get along without cotton as
tho money crop"
In prcfacing his remarks DR.. Spill.
man said that agriculture is the basis
OF the wealth Of this country. The
products annually amount to over five
billion dollars. Large business con.
Germs employ the best talent obtain
able. 1t is not so with agriculture
where capital is not massed. If agri-
culture is to have the benefit Of scicn-
tifio research the government must
bring this benefit 20 the farmers.
at the risk Of being considered ex-
travagant, but in all sincerity, he de-
clared that the southern half of the
United States has climate which in
time will enable it to become the lead
ing agricultural section of tho world
Tie South will lead in agricultural
production when all Of her opportun-
tiles arc improved. The soil here
will grow great variety of crops and
for longer period than any other sec
tion Of the country.
The government spends less than
any other in encouraging the farmers.
The present endeavors are not over
doing the matter. He told how the
government had spen. half million
dollars in stamping out disease
among the cattle. Recently it had
appropriated $3.50, ,OOO--not to fight
the boil weevil, for that is q useless,
hopeless fght-but to provide other
means by which farmers may live.
There &c &c: The slightest prcbsb;l-
ity that the boil weevil will be entire
ly eradicated. The government is
fully justified in spending millions of
dollars to meet the invasion of the
boil weevil and to teach the farmers
OF this section to engage in other
kinds of.farming.
When DR.. spillman took up the
question Of the boil weevil he was
asked if the pest would get as far aa
South Carolina. In giving enlighten-
ment on this subject the speaker de.
parted from his regular line of thought
but gave some very interesting state
ments. Most emphatically the boil
weeviI will come into South Carolina
and will come to destroy. Wherever
1t has made its appearance the coun.
try has been blighted and bale of
cotton could not bo gotten from 25
acres OF the most fertile land. In
reply to question he stated that il
would be unsafe to buy oats or any.
thing else shipped from the country
injected with tho weevil, which has
now gotten into the southern part of
the Indian Territory and the western
part Of Louisiana.
For long time the government
saw what was coming and ndeavored
to get the Legislature of Texas to pass
q lawl' preventing any cotton from
being planted on q strip of land 200
miles wide along the Rio Grande river,
for tho pest lad made it's appearance
In Mexico and was devastating the cot
ton crops there. But no precaution-
ary methods were adopted and now
the entire State Of Texas is plsgue-
ridden. O1t has been reported that
10000 farmers are preparing to leave
the State of Texas and all on account
of the weevil, which has ruined their
crops. He cited an instance of a far.
mer in the very best of circumstances
who had been reduced to abject poy.
erty and would have suffered but for n
little poultry yard which his provi
dent wife vas running.
Thesboll weevil stays under cover Of
the woods until in July, said DR..
Spillmau, and when the midsummer
brings the ''forms" Of embryo bolls to
the cotton plant the weevil begins his
depredatious. The pest is about q
quarter Of an inch in length, and has
a bill half as long again as himself.