The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1908-11-12

/ the top crop and water from the
Brazos had backed up on some OF
his cotton, and ran through 1t, but
the cotton was not killed and came
out and made fine cotton. Some re-
planted, did not do SO we'll. have
q sample OF 1t also.
In driying through these lands
we went through lane; the cotton
on the left was good, very good, on
the right 1t was O failure. / asked
Capatin Watt to stop hls buggy, an
object lesson was before us and
wanted to learn it. Mr.. Moody
owned the crop on the right. called
on him and asked why his crop was
So poor, and the cotton next to him
SO good. He said he did not know
/ asked Mr.. Moody how often he
plowed his cotton. He said he did
not know, he plowed his cotton all
the time. The Lord was against
Moody, or he lacked elbow grease.
left East Brazos, with hopes for
the Ouachita. The crop was good
and Captain Watt said he knew it
was profitable. Being a banker he
may have had information that only
a banker gets.
/ met the pillow boy in the fields
and examined his crops. met the
small farmer in his fields and ex-
amined his crops. | associated with
the King b farmers, and went all
over their crops and have come to
/ the conclusion, which is unanimous
among the Texans / lave Interview
ed, that we, in Louisiana, who
/ bnu tho hn11 uaoyf1 have ~
change our method of farming. If
we hope to cope with the weevil
| First we mast take the risk of plant
ing early, even IL we have to plant
over; second, we will have to abol-
ish the one mule sweep and use cul-
tivators. If our negroes do not know
how to run them they viii have to
take a lesson from Texas and learn.
We must put our cotton to one
/ stalk from the first working. then
the weevil will have less cotton to
feed and breed on. Then we must
use intense cultivation and piow the
cotton instead of three or four times,
eight and in many instances twelve
times, as they do in Texas. The av-
erage to the hand must be increas-
ed and he must do more blowing, if
he expects to make living, as the
boil weevil will certainly demand his
/ top crop. Indeed when rainy years
come, as they will, the weevils may
! demand both middle and top crops.
For this reason we will have to prac-.
tice the most rigid economy; all
leakes on the farm will have to be
closed, all excessive advances will
have to be stopped.
If you would escape the sad expe-
rience of the Texas farmer, l would
suggest that you go slow on cotton
the second and third year; after the
third year the unanimous opinion
! among the Texas farmer, is, that boil
weeyils are not SO ravenous. Cut and
burn your cotton and corn stalks. if
possible burn all stumps, logs and
/ dead trees next to your tillable lands,
! thereby you destroy thousands of
weevils in Information. Another idea
let me forcibly impress upon you.
/ Next to your timber barricade it with
your corn crops, just as far as you
can, then let your cotton intervene
between your corn and the river
! front on your highest, highest lands
that are well drained. Give up the
idea of ever making another top crop
| Of cotton. / did not see single
bloom on any corn in Texas, except
the Guinea crop, near Corsicana,
and | must have seen close to mil
lion acres in cotton.
There is absolutely no method of
destroying the weevil; he is a factor
we have to reck6n with. You can
urft nd
Others you will lose, but If possible
diversity, SO that you can even up
in case of cotton failure. AS your
commissioner, | made close and
scrutinizing examination of condi-
lions in Texas, trudged through the
cotton fields myself, hunted the wee
vii and in every stalk Of cotton | ex-
amined, never failed to find him.
Hundreds of white farm tenants
have left West and Central Texas
and gone to Northwest Texas and the
Panhandle. on account or boil vice.
wills. 1t has been TRANSPORTATION
of Texans more than it has been in
influx of emigration. Take for in
stance Jones county. In 1900 she
made only 7,493 bales OIL cotton and
1906 she made 39,731 bales and
1907 38,711 males Take Haskell
county. In 1900 she made 2,510
bales, in 1907 she made 1920 bales.
Take Fisher. In 49,, she made 81
364 bales, in 1906 she made 1909
bales. Take Hall. In 1900 she made
TT bales, and In 1907 she made 49,
715 bales. thus you see, gentlemen,
what boil weevils have accomplish
ed; created new counties in Texas
for cotton among her own citizens,
who emigrated rather than risk
their all against this pest.
Now let's see what has been the
general results in Texas since 1900
against boil weevils. In 1900 Texas
raised 3,419,959 bales; in 1901. a.
495,144 bales; in 1902, 2,49t,1O2;
In 1903, 2,461 lat; in 1904, 3,128,-
242; in 1905, 2,545, 1876; in 1906, 4,
063,910 bales; in 1907, 2,32O,815.
II these figures are not exactly cor
rect, they are SO nearly so there can
be no argument about it.
What is the conclusion drawn
from these figures. We must learn
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