The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1908-11-06
BOIL MIEpa ItSIIN0sY.

ia J. ks o p'ttfll'd iltflsI llF
has returned, aud subDitiei .
lengthy and INTERESTING report. The
evidence aud experience gathered
and reported BY Mr.. S,rins fellow il
mainly corroborative Of publications
already made. While there is no
room for hope II radiance Of the
pest, The practice Of the prescribed
cultural methods will, he reports,
permit "a fair middle aud bottom
crop, but that there would never
again be a top CT p raised. That
must be resigned absolutely TO the
weeyIl" This conclusion was
drawn as the result Of observations
in a group Of counties Of central
Texas, all lying south Of latitude 80
On no farm had cotton growing
been abandoned az a failure team
be pursued successfully where
| growers learn the boil weevil lesson,
the necessity Of economy, the value
Of diversified crops and particularly
the value Of the raising or stock"
AS boil weevil information is now Of
foremost interest TO the Herald
readers, Mr.. Stringfellow's report
will be published in full, on We'd
ncsday next, says the Vicksburg
Herald Of the Ist inst.
For its bearing on the same all
important question a letter is pub
Iished herewith from Mr.. Walter
Porter. of Terrell, Tex addressed to
Mr. A t. Cameron, Ct the Graves
" VInton Company of Memphis,
Tenn. Mr.. Porter reCites his expert
ence in trying 10 raise cotton since
1894 on land situated near timber.
AS there is much land similarly
situated il the Delta country, his
letter will be found interesting and
instructive to many of our readers:
Terrell, Tex, Sept. II, 1908.
Mr. A. + Cameron, Memphis, Tenn.
Dear Sir-Your inquiry of our
experience raising cotton with the
weeviI To hand.
will, in a brief way, give you
my opinion, The cultural method
means to thoroughly prepare the
land, plant good seed as early as
possible and cultivate often.
have two farms, one on the prai
RE three miles from timber. In
1904 we had our first good crop Of
weevil. That year | planted my
cotton on both places on the last
day of March. | got a good stand
and worked it steadily till the 10th
r-'y, .Hrtnt utiU -Util VI July l
never saw a bloom on my three
hundred acres of bottom cotton; on
account of weevil puncturing the
squares. The weevils did not APP.
pear on the prairie farm till a month
later than the bottom, showing that
they went to the timber to hibernate
and eat all they could punch near
the timber before going to the prai-
rle.
That year was a perfect cotton
year. ! mean we could push it.
Never had a single wet spell. 1t
was blooming two blooms to the
stalk on the goth Of June. and by
the time the weevlls got thick, the
10th Of July, | had two. thirds Of a
bale to the mere made. Cotton was
\ good price. sold the 200 bales
off my bottom farm at l03c, and all
my seed at SOC per bushel, so you
see was getting rich, Next year
II was wet and we could not force
the cotton, and with the same work.
ing expense ! made a bale to ten
acres. A loss you see. In 1906 nv
prospect was excellent, but a week
If wet weather about lst of July cut
my crop TO 100 bales on THREE hun
ired acres, | put most of my bot
tom land in alfalfa, but in 1907 |
fifteen acres Of cotton and
worked it to perfection. 1t was a
wet season and | never saw prettier
but the weeviIs took it all but
me light bale. This year | planted
.welve acres and the July drought
leId the weevlls in check and | will
get q half bale to acre.
Nov, | had been c%uItivating the :
arm for twelve Years prior 10 1901
nd had averaged two thirds bale to |
ere. My prairie farm has never {
made under one half bale since we ,
ad weevil. They commence to :
reed on the timber place about the
9th OF June and usually puncture ,
squares before flying to prairie. '
The cultural method is all right,
n fact it is the only way to farm,
ut when 1t comes to raising cotton
nth the boil weevil on bottom or +
mber land, it is an uphill bust.
ess. If you use the cultural
and if the climate candi
ons are favorable you can get a
GOD crop, but if yon get it thrown