The Waxahachie daily light. [volume] (Waxahachie, Tex.) 1894-current, 1908-02-05
KILL JOHNSON GRASS.
Simple Way in Which One Man Has
Rid Two Farms of Pest.

cnpped from the Dallas News be-
cause it will be of interest to the
farmers:
The News published a few days
ago a letter from Mr.. Wolcott des-
cribing his methods, in order that
all might have the benefit of his ex-
perience. This work of such great
Importance that it is thought
best to reproduce herewith the great
er part of the article Mr.. Wolcott
wrote, He says among other things;
"A few years ago l bought two
Johnson grass farms adjoining my
old home place out on the Becky
road, four miles south of Oak Cliff,
with view to checking cotton on
these farms to exterminate the
johnson grass. / took this matter
up with J. H. Rothel, who for some
years had been on my place, and
gave him my idea of the checking
system, and he agreed that the sys-
tenn would exterminate the Johnson
grass, SO l made deal with
Mr.. Rothel, renting him these farms
for five years, to furnish the plant
ers Tin the first place l had to re-
build these planters at an expense of
500 and Mr.. Rothel to do the work
he agreeing to eXterminate the
Johnson in that Tina Tho fret
year Mr.. Rothel made about three
fourths of bale of cotton to the acre
and he tells me that he was only
out $3.50 for the chopping of 1870
acres. Then last year as short as the
crops were Mr.. Rothel says that l
m at liberty to say that, after pay
ing the rent and all expenses of the
crop, and his family were paid, he
had $500 left to make a payment
on little farm that he had bought
not far from my place; and after
only two years my farms are as clear
of Johnson grass as any farm in the
country.
I'VE understood the checking sys-
tenn mostly from a Johnson grass
and economical standpoint, not hav-
ing any boil weevil at the time; but
two years ago the boil weevils made
their appearance, and we noticed
that they did not thrive as we'll in
our checked cotton, and last sum
mer, after some of our drilled cotton
was almost completely destroyed,
we failed to find any boil weevils in
our checked cotton. But just at that
tine the weather turned off so ex-
tremely dry that the boil weevils did
but little the rest of the season,
either in drilled or checked cotton.
but from various standpoints |
the best from a boil weevil stand
point. 1t should be remembered
that the United States entomologists
recommend plenty of distance be-
tween rows and hills, and they also
recommend thorough cultivation.
This checking system gives plenty
of room for the sunshine and is
much better from culture"
standpoint, inasmuch as by the old
way or the drill system the team
knocks the boil weevils off and they
fall in the shade and the cultivator
covers them up Just deep enough
to make them comfortable; but in
checking system you pillow across the
ridges and the cultivator in tearing
down the ridges throws the boil
weevils out into the middle of the
row, where the sun can get better
show at them.
From experience | can say that
the boil weevils cannot thrive in
checked cotton near so we'll as they
can in the drilled, and a crop can
be made at half the expense it can
be made in the drilled, it being
fact that labor is very scarce and
very high at this season of the year
and what little chopping you have
to do, or thinning, can wait until the
rush of the season is over and then
be thinned at very little expense.
''As to the width of the rows that
depends largely on localities. For
this part of the state would recon-
mend three feet each way, but on
thin land in some portions of the
state the check wire could be made
SO as to plant three feet one way
and, say 1Sx24 inches the other way
in checking it, but when planting in
this way it would have to be plowed
crossways with sweep, for the
rows would be too narrow for a
eultivator. In fact the planter can
be so constructed as to plant any
distance that they want"
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