The true Democrat. [volume] (Bayou Sara [La.]) 1892-1928, 1908-12-26
Boil Weevil Advice.


exodus of colored laborers from a {
number of parishes calls for concerted
and sensible actions upon the part OF
the planters. In some localities the
idea seems to be prevalent that cotton
growing must be entirely abandoned
on account of the boil weevil, and
where such ideas are encouraged by
| the white planters decentralization OF
the negro must naturally be expected.
| do not believe there is just cause
for the alarm now being manifested
regarding the future of cotton growing
in this State My own personal eX-
perience with the boil weevil, as we'll
as my observations upon the success
of others in fighting that pest, has
convinced me that by the adoption OF
pre- er methods and more rational,
bus.ness-like management OF our
farms we can successfully outwit the
insect, make proft-returning crops,
continue the cultivation of cotton and
again instill confidence into the color
ed people.
We must abandon the expensive
habit of buying all our supplies from
other states and devoting all our tilla-
BILE lands to cotton. When we buy
hay. or corn, or meat from northern
states we pay several profits on each,
as we'll as a good round price to the
northern or western farmer who orlgl-
nally produced these things. In TACT,
the present prosperity of the northern
and western..farming sections has beer
in large measure due to the heavy de-
!. mand from the South for hay, corn
mules and meat to use while producing
cotton. If the northern farmer cal
raise these things at a profit, certainl.
we can do so, with our superior Gil
! mate and richer soils. I do not meal
by this that we should abandon cottol
J culture and devote our lands entlrel
to other crops. On the contrary, W
} lshould continue to raise cotton but W
} should reduce the cost OF its produe
1 ton by making the farm also producc
Z tho tbinos we need in making the co
( ton crop.
J That ga penny saved is penn
: earned" was never truer than IN u
, present problem of raising cotton at
\ profit in spite of the boil weeVll'
4 the past we have paid high profits
: merchant, railroad and northern farr
z er and have paid time prices ana mig
b interest charges besides. The cotI'
- crop has carried this load and lett
= profit for landlord and tenant-as Pc
z hans no other crop in the world cou
debut it is too much to expect I
r cotton crop to feed the boil weevll
a addition When the farmer diver
4 6es-produces his own meat mule
X eggs, butter, hay, corn, peanu
z fruits and vegetables-he will rea
y have to spend very little cash WI
Y making his crop. He should the
a fore operate strictly on cash pas
"A paying cash for everything he ou'
= and exacting cash, or an lmmeol
e exchange in groceries or clothing
= the produce which he has to o,sp
% If. When the farm is made sells
. porting the money received from
ANN, sale of the cotton will be clear pr
whether one bale or a hundred
made. ~.
n In nv own parish of Desoto dive
fed farming has proved a mar
success. and along with it the col
cron has actually been lncrea'
ls The boil weevil first invaded Dee
narish in 1904, and while things Il
ed pretty blue during 1905 and
the farmers with few exceptions be
to diversity and adopt the up-1o-
/ methods of cotton cultivation aaVe
\ cd nv the State Experiment Stat
and the Crop Pest Commission
result was that the 1907 crop was
/ terially better than the crop OF
and the 1908 crop is fully ~ per
oil greater than the crop OF las'
l'n Prosperity is returning to bo'h
! farmer and merchant and this Cd
aaasAs credited to nothing more than ms
- the farm self-sustaining and 10 q
Ciana ing the up-to-date methods OF ler'
ton and cultivation. Two ,a'
particularly, in Desoto PARISH
bo nointed to as very successful
9nk fght against the weevil' D. D.
Of Logansport, and A. H. koa'
D bank Mansfield. The former gentlemS
ed and averaged 1000 pounds ana os
seed cotton per acre for the past
wears farming onrelatively poe