The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-11-30

RRY ST. PHONE OR CALL.
 In addition to the institute work, the | bureau has been cooperating with the
 college in the matter of the breeding | Of cotton, the testing of fertilizers, and | other important lines of investigation. J Thorough harmony prevails, and every I effort Is being made by both the De-
 partment and college officials to make | the work effective.
 Cooperation With Louisiana Authori- | ties. 5s l Cooperation has also been secured l with the Louisiana authorities. and a number of important lines of work have been carried on in the State. The propaganda work, as described for ! Texas, has also been conducted in DOT tions of Louisiana. Demonstration | work with fertilizers has been carried
 on. also other investigations having for
 their object the encouragement in every 1 way of better methods of farming in
 advance of the approach of the weevil. | DiversihcatiOn Farms.
 | As another feature of the work in the | South, plans were made and put into
 operation establishing diversification farms at various places. The object | of these farms was to show the value
 and importance of diversified agricul-
 ture. It was found unnecessary for
 the Bureau to expend any funds in the
 development of these farms. except in
 minor ways for the purchase of certain l special seeds. and sometimes for special | fertilizers where such were to be used.
 In all cases the business interests of
 the respective communities gladly CO., 1 operated with the bureau to the end not only of securing a desirable farm for
 the purpose, but assuming all responsi- | bility for its support. Tn every in- | stance efforts have been made in | organizing these farms to make them l not only self-supporting but profitable. The main object of the work is to show | that by diversified agriculture the lands may not only be improved, but more money can be made than in farming with a single crop.
 Thirty-two of these farms have been l or are about to be established of which sixteen are in Texas, five in Louisiana, three in Georgia. two in Alabama, three in Mississippi, two in South Carolina, | and one in Florida. The general
 method employed in locating. organiz- | ing, and conducting these farms Is to | first determine in what section of the State the various farms are to be | located. An effort is then made to find | a progressive farmer who is desirous | of encouraging diversified farming in
 his section. and who Is willing to per- l init the Department to aid him in doing
 it. When a suitable arrangement has | been made. a representative of the De-
 partment and the State experiment sta
 tion make a thorough study of local | conditions with reference to cropping possibilities. markets. advantages, etc.
 A system of records Is instituted, | which enables the Department to secure detailed information regarding
 every phase of the management of the | farm and the results secured. After l the farms are established. other farm
 CTS are encouraged to visit them. this | being done largely through the CO., | operation of the State experiment sta ] tions.
 Breeding New Types of Cotton. Extensive work has been inaugurated l in Texas having for its object the breeding of new types of cotton better
 adapted to meeting the conditions
 brought about by the invasion of the weevil. More than 100 varieties of
 cotton have been grown and many selections have been made This Is l necessarily slow work, but already
 very encouraging results have been | SSSulCu III lHS or
 earlier and better yielding types-types
 that are better able to resist storms
 and types for special purposes in l several regions.
 Discovery of the Guatemalnu Ant, During the year an important dis | covery was made by an officer of this | bureau, viz, the discovery in Guatemala l of an ant that destroys the weevil. bighty-nine colonies of these ants | were brought into Texas and are now l being thoroughly studied with a view | to determining their value as a means | of checking the serious inroads of the cotton insect. After the introduction
 of the ant by this bureau further work
 on Its distribution. habits, etc, was | placed under the bureau of entono- | mology.
 WeeviI-Resistant Cotton.
 Another and perhaps more efficient method of combating the boil weevil than by means of the ant has been discovered very recently. The hope of finding a variety of cotton not sub ject to injury by this past has been cherished for several years, but htth- erto no method has been ascertained by which the plant could offer effec- tive resistance to the insect. It has been found, however. that in Some va
 
 larva, instead of blasting the buds and bolls, often stimulates a special growth of internal tissue which kills the young weevil. This is not merely accidental or abnormal, but is in the nature of protective adaptation de- Veloped as a final result of a long struggle for existence between tho cotton and the weeviI in tropical Amers lea. The insect could not breed or perpetuate itself in the presence of variety of cotton in which the for nation of the new protective tissue occurred regularly. It Is accordingly within the range of scientific possf- plIlties that resistant varieties of cot ton can be found in tropical America or developed by selection. and work on this line has been begun.
 Distribution of Eariy-Maturing Varie- ties of Cotton Seed.
 With a view to Encouraging the planting of early-maturing varieties of cotton, such as King and Parker. large distribution of these yaris- ties was made In the State of Texas and portion of Louisiana during the year. Small quantities were sent to farmers the cooperation of Senators and members of Congress being se- cured for the purpose of distribution. Records have been kept of all the farmers who have received this seed. and tho reports are now being re- turned to the department as to its value as compared with ordinary sorts In most cases very encourag-