The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1904-03-05
BOIL WEEVIL
IS DISCUSSED
w ell known Texan Talks
About the Cotton Pest.
WILL FREE OTHER CROPS
Farmers Will Be Obliged to
Diversity More.
WILL FREE OTHER CROPS

Guthrie, O. T.. Marohh "A Fort Worth
dispatch says:
julius Runge. Of Galveston, the father
of the diIersiiication idea in Texas. is
in the city. Mr.. Runge was called here
by the serious illness of a son. who makes
his home>Nere
The United States government frankly
confesses that il knows nothing good
about the boil weevil." said Mr.. Runge
last night. and for that reason the only
portion of the $3.50 Og1 that was recently
appropriated to be expended in lighting
the boil weevil Will be devoted 10 any
practical good. with immediate bene-
fits in view. Is that portion of this fund
that viii be used in experimenting in as
Certaining what else besides cotton can
be raised in the boil weevil sections OF
the state. In other words. this govern
ment recognizes that the best method Of
lighting the weevil is To starve it out. As
far as we know now the boil weevil Will
not feast on anything except cotton. Take
cotton away and perhaps the weevil viii
starve. to des1h.
ITO my mind the boil weevil is a bless
ing in disguise. Its ravages viii force
the Texas farmers to cultivate other
products. Anything that can be raised
in the temperate zone can be raised more
profitably in Texas than anywhere else.
BY forcing the farmers to abandon cot
ton you force them to raise other com
modities They viii learn how TO grow
other products. and what is just as es-
sential how to market them.
Il am not an enthusiast about coun-
teracting boil weevil by cultural methods.
In the first place. the cotton of Texas
is today the best cotton of the world.
on account of being Texas raised our
cotton commands a better price in the
markets of the world. BY introducing
other grades of cotton. who knows that
the high quality Of the fiber viii not Be
reduced? This talk of early maturing
cotton is bosh. Cotton cannot mature
early without an abundance of rain. Rain
is lust to the liking If the weevil 1t
then naturally follows that a season to
mature cotton early is the season that
permits the weevil to engage actively.
The only successful way of lighting
the weevil is by starvation. That IS the
sure way. Without cotton the weevil must
seek other fields. Thisv method can be
followed profitably.
Texas has never raised corn enough.
has never raised wheat enough. or II she
has. il has never been marketed properly
She has never raised enough of the for
age crops. Her hog crop has been tear
fuIlv short. The same can be said Of po-
ta+oes. and i'm fact almost everything
that grows in the state, except cotton.
The day should come when farmer
will not raise cotton except fer laga
naippe The day is coming. too The
farmer must become absolutely, without
reserve. free from cotton. He should
min his faith 10 other crops. ard should
study the praper way of disposins II
them
Mr.. Runge first began talking diversih-
cation about six years ago. Since then.
in season and out Of season, he has
thundered on this text. He, after sew
eral unsuccessful attempts, Induced the
Galveston News TO assist him IN his ef-
forts and he contributed article after
article to the columns OF that paper tor
the first six months. almost single
handed. in making the night. lie be-
Iieycs in diversifcation today Just as
stroogly as he did when he FIRST started
the fight. The boil weevn has assisted
him in his plans.
With all this, 1t IS bit strange that