The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1904-11-15
III BOIL
Agricultural Department Experts Con-
sidering Steps to Prevent its Spread
ing-Winston Not Badly Scratched.
Messenger Bureau.
Raleigh. \. c.. Nov. 10.

Messenger Bureau.
Raleigh, ". c., Nov. 10.
State Entomologist Frank Sherman
has returned from Shreveport, La.
where he attended a very important
of exterminating or checking the Texas
cotton boil weevil. Professor Sherman
says he found the people greatly
wrought up on the subject OF the wee-
vii, which is already in half a dozen
parishes in the western third of Louis
lana One very hopeful feature OF thu
case is that while it was believed there
was great danger of importing the wea-
vii on freight trains and Louisiana has
maintained a very rigid quarantine on
such trains for six months, yet in no
case W. weeyils been found on such
trains. The weevils begin to migrate at
the end of the summer and their move
ments are at the rate of 40 to so fni;cs
a season. These two facts indicate thai
they are not likely to reach his terri
tory soon, as it is pretty conclusive thu.
the insect is not artificially transported.
Only in n case was there anything 70
cause belief in artificial transportation,
this being the case at New Orleans two
years ago, but there the insects were
quickly stamped out. It was stated at
the convention that no doubt the wee
wills were carried TO New Orleans on
purpose, by some malicious person.
There seems to be nothing to stop the
insect from coming eastward and
northward through the cotton growing
section of the country, as it can make
jums of thirty or forty miles. 1t is
found that When the insects settle
down il is invariably on the green cot
ton along the river bottoms. 1t is
therefore shown that the spread of the
pest is largely in the direction of inc
rivers and that it gets in its first work
mainly in the river bottoms and TO:
on the uplands, out goes to the latter
later. 1t is now almost to the Red riv-
er in Texas, but not one has been found
in Oklahoma, the Indian territory OF
Arkansas. 1t is confined so far entire
lyto Texas and a small part of Louisa
ma. 1t was the sentiment of the con
Vention that the only remedy is to raise
very early varieties of cotton, to force
the cotton plants tbv wide planting, so
as TO get plenty of sunshine, and TO
give frequent civilizations. BY these
means the Texas farmers nave succeed
ed in growing one half to three fourth3
of q bale to the acre, which while Of
course not up to the former high STAN
dar1, is yet a good average yield. 1t
is also found necessary to destroy the
plants by thorough burning. just as
soon as the cotton is picked and the
members of the convention found The
Louisiana farmers destroying the
plants in this way. There have been
rumors from time to time of the pres
ence Of the weevil in North Carolina,
but all these reports have been careful
" investigated and found to be abso-
llutely erroneous. Professor Sherman
CO VIC that or tho nraSent ata it will no
eight to ten years before the weevl!
gets to North Carolina. There really
seems to be no means of keeping it out,
as it can fly long distances in it's MI
grations, as has already been stated.
There does not appear to be any dam
ger of its being brought here artificial
Ily though for some time there has been
a North Carolina quarantine against
Texas freights. As the insects move
n~orthward and eastward the only thing
to do appears to be the Texas and Lou
lisiana plan of very early planting, fore
ing. early picking and quick destruction
of plants.
At Democratic headquarters here it
is said that Francis d. Winston will
run very closely with the other nolni-
nees on the Democratic ticket and that
he will not be over 1000 behind it, no.
w~ithstanding some attempts to scratch
his name.
Professor J. B. Carlyle, who las BEEN
raising funds for the alumni building at
Wake Forest College was here today
and said he had secured $4,000, thl2
being at the rate of over $1,000 a week.
The Republicans are confident of the
election of Blackburn in the Eighth
district. The Democrats were very
blue about it yesterday and the figures
looked very bad indeed. The Repubii-
cans are now saying that the Demo
cratic majority in the state will not go
over l40.O 900. Certainly a conservative
estimate is $4,000. The Republicans are
Boosting that Roosevelt got more votes
in the south Ia Mckinley did. They
add that he led their state ticket in all
eastern North Carolina.
State Treasurer Lacy l. expected IT,
return here on the goth instant from
ARIZONA.
Today some interesting information
was given ort by the state labor bureau
regarding trades in this state, Their
average wages, etc., % per cent. OF the
persons reporting say their wages have
been increased, while s per cent. show
a decrease. % per cent. made full time
and IS per cent work overtime. 80 per
cent. report cost Of living Increased. 90
pel cent. favor a ten hour day, 9 pei
cent. a nine hour day, 5 per cent, an
eleven hour day, and p per cent an 8
hour day. SO per cent favor fixing a
days work by law and IL per cent or-
pose it. 20 per cent. report nanci
lcon1itions good, 46 per cent fair, % per
cent. poor. and II per cent. bad. 81 per
cent. reoort improvement in education
81 per lent favor compulsory education
and IS per cent oppose it. 81 per cent
work bv the day. II per cent by ice
week u per cent. by the 1oD, lei
cent. b. the month. / per cent. each ty
the piece by the vea- and by the-h ou:
Ga per cent are paid weekly, is per cont
~optbix. 81 Der GER favor weekly