The Tupelo journal., 1907-02-01
FARMER AND PLANTER
WHAT BOIL wEEviL is DOING.
Forcing Southern Farmer to Abandon
Anticipated Methods.

FM&4M2
How is this boil weevil business
going to help the south? They tell
me at the agricultural department
that it has done more than anything
else to call attention to the antiQuated
methods OF cotton culture in this coun-
try. And he people are setting about
to improve. The boil weevil has forced
them to do something. They can not
stop the weevil from destroying the
crop except in one way, and that Is to
get the crop out of the way before the
weevil comes along. And they have
actually found that they can make
more cotton on an acre, with the
weevil there, than ever they were do
ing before this pest appeared.
A bill has been recently introduced
in congress to appropriate $685. 900 for
the purpose, not of exterminating the
boil weevil, for that can not be done,
although they will make a large APP
preparation for it, but of Establishing
and conducting experimental and dem
onstration farms in that part of the
United States infested by the Mex
lean cotton boil weevil." And the bill
directs that this amount shall be ex-
pended by the secretary of agriculture
"to demonstrate the manner in which
the ravages of the Mexican cotton
boil weevil may be avoided or circum-
vented by cultural methods" Another
bill calls for an appropriation of $780,
900 for the same purpose. And it is
not unlikely that this $4,000 appropri-
alton will go through without much
opposition, for already some valuable
demonstrations have been made-ex-
tensive experiments carried on in Tex
as and Louisiana in improved methods
of cotton culture, not exactly under
the direction of the department of ag-
riculture, but under the direction of
certain associations Of farmers in Tex
and and Louisiana assisted by the ex-
perts of the agricultural department.
DR.. B. T. Galloway, chief Of the bu-
a of plant industry, who is at a
times, as 1t seems, especially interest
ed in all subjects of concern to south
ern farmers, has recently returned
from a visit to this territory, and he
is full Of enthusiasm on the subject
of Improvements in cotton culture. The
way it is done out there, he says, is
for the farmers association of a small
territory, say a county, to pick out
one good mar from their number who
is willing to change his methods of
cotton culture entirely, taking the sug-
gestions of the department experts.
He might lose money on it, but the
association and not the one man takes
all the risks, raising a sum of 800,
which is to guarantee him against
loss. A large number of these asso-
Citations have been organized this year.
DR.. Galloway's visit was in the fall,
because one of the prime principles
of the scheme is to get to work with
the land in the fall, rather than wait
till spring. The cotton is not planted
any earlier, but by the use of specially
selected seeds, by the better condition
of the soil from the start and by i'm
proved methods of blowing it grows
faster and natures quicker. The
weevils are not ready for their work
on the squares till about the time.
under the improved culture, the bolls
are matured and out of all danger
from the pest ZACH McGHEE.
Washington, d. c.