The Colfax chronicle., 1904-12-24
coLFAx GRANT PARISH La, SATURDAY DECEMBER a. 1904


Boil Weevils and liberalization.
The late convention Of agricultural
and other interests, which met hast
week In Shreveport, has set the press
of the country and the people to dis
cussing the various methods for re-
lief from the ravages of the boil wee
vii. Of course the very first thing
that suggests itself Is to let cotton
alone, or at least to materially re-
duce the acreage devoted to that pro-
duct. Every penny writer In the land
can ring all the changes on this sub
ject, and owl-like and wise are the
suggestions thatcome thick and fast.
The ground floor of almost any
proposition or measure that can be
suggested was discussed by the vari-
ous gentlemen who addressed the
Shreveport convention, and little re-
mains to be done except to elaborate
and apply the remedies there propos-
ed. The diversification Of crops. as
ably discussed and practically Illus
trated by the government experts
and farmers who have tried and
proven the advantages of the same,
leaves no room for discussion as to
the advisability Of abandoning our
our ruinous system of the one cotton
crop. There is no disputing the
proposition that there Is more clear
money to the farmer in an acre Of
any other farm product than there is
In an acre of cotton, which really
pays less and costs more to produce
than another product.
The United States Government for
several years has appropriated thou
sands of dollars to have experts con-
duct experimental farms. to show
and instruct the farmers az to the
cost of production and the profit in
the various crops. They have proven
cotton to be the most expensive crop
grown. These facts are known to
all OF our most enlightened farmers,
and many have prOfited by the
showing, but the bulk Of the farming
people are slow to get on to new
methods or to discard old practices,
and no amount Of argument or pro-
test can move them. Many win ad-
init their error, but the most OF them
will continue to hug the cotton de-
lusiOn and assert that there is no
other money CROP In the South.
The Government has expended
many thousands Of dollars In Texas
and Louisiana within the last two
years simply to fight the boil weevil,
and discover II possible some means
to exterminate the insect or prevent
it's destruction Of the cotton crop.
This beneficial work is to be kept up,
and we have every reason to believe
that the present Congress will double
and perhaps quadruple the appropri-
alton, as Secretary Wilson and the
entire cabinet seem to favor this
being done. 1t is a just and well
earned recognition Of the farming
interest, which as a rule has had but
little legislative attention, and we
hope the response will be prompt
and liberal. But war on these little
bugs will not give the farmers the
relief they want. Their main relief
rests in their owl hands and lies at
their own doors. Every acre that
they put in corn and potatoes. vege-
tables, fruits and grasses, and devote
to the raising of cattle and livestock,
viii he worth more TO them than a
hundred dollars from Congress.
Farmers may talk about holding
cotton for higher prices, but that b
going to do no good II they are go
ing to pile another big crop ON toy
OF the present one. They may even
go the extreme OF burning a million
bales of the present crop, as some
have proposed. In order to force a
higher price for the balance. These
measures cannot give permanent re
lief. There II but one way to meet
the issue. and that is to quit raising
SO much cotton, and seek to make
the farm self sustaining by raising
everything that can he made on It.
Do this, and then The farmers of OuI
fair Southland will take their place
az the wealthiest. the healthiest and
the happiest people on earth. Con.
tinue to rest our hopes on this ,decep.
tive and slender suppOrtyand we car
expect to spend our days In want
and In terror OF the cotton specu
lator. an evil more to be dreaded
than the boil weevil.
| ~T vna much afflicted with eciatioa >