The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-05-14
WILSON TALKS ON
 COTTON CULTURE Advocates Thorough Prepara- tion, Rapid Cultivation REMEDY FOR BOIL WEEVIL Crop Must Be Matured Before Insect Gets In His Work-Weevil May
 Reach Mississippi This
 Year.
REMEDY FOR BOIL WEEVIL

One of the most important questions discussed on the educational tour being made in the Sixth congressional district by Congressman Hobson is that of cotton culture.
 This discussion is being conducted by R, S. Wilson of the bureau of plant indus try of the department of agriculture, and is attracting considerable attention.
 MT. Wilson advocates deep and thorough preparation of cotton lands and rapid cul- tivation as the only means of defeating the work of the boil weevil. He also rec ommends the use of more domestic fer tilizers, rotation of crops and reduced acreage with increased production. Mr. Wilson is a practical cotton man and wins the confidence of the people wherever he goes.
 With Captain Hobson and party, MT
 Wilson spent Sunday in Birmingham
 leaving yesterday morning for Jasper where the campaign of education was resumed.
 In discussing the work of his depart
 ment, MT. Wilson said:
 '"rhe division of the department of az riculture known as the farmers CO., operative experiment division, in which am employed, grew out of an effort or
 the part of the government to cope witt
 the boil weevil, which appeared fin Texas | few years ago, and which threatens to spread entirely over the cotton belt. Many experiments have been tried ir | an attempt to exterminate the pest, but l nothing effective has yet been discovered | From a small area in southwest Texas where the insect first appeared a few years ago, he has spread until now he Is close to the Mississippi river. According reachs the river this year. and unless something is done he will cross into Mis- sissippi in another year.
 His progress across the country is not | in a direct line, but in waves something like those produced by throwing a pebble in a pond of water After devastating a field of cotton he scars directly up- wards in the air, and after reaching a considerable height, flies off in a horizon tai line. In this way 1t is believed he will readily cross the river in spite of everything that can DC uohe.
 Boil WeeviI Hardy. "When it was discovered that the weevil was a hardy creature that could with stand almost any adverse circumstance the department experts turned their at- tention to plans of raising cotton in spite of him. and we have been so far success full. You will notice that the production In Texas is holding up even in the sec tions where the weevil has done the most damage.
 "Our method of doing this is simply to mature the crop before he gets busy, There are two generations of the boil weevil in a season. The first is hornless, but the second generation. which opens about August. is very destructive.
 We have found that by using early maturing cotton seed, deep preparation of the land in the fall and winter and rapid cultivation will push the plant and
 mature the fruit ahead of the insect. This
 method of cultivation does not only save the crop from the weevil but it greatly increases the yield per acre and is of financial benefit to the farmers.
 Large Production.
 We are preaching the doctrine of larger production on less acreage as an economic measure and also for the financial gain of the cotton producer. and since the labor question is a vital problem the farmers are compelled to cover less acre. age and reduce the possibilities of failure
 in handling the crop. The farmers is able to make more thorough preparation