The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1909-03-26
SOME MORE ABOUT
THE BOIL WFfVlI
Ttsis is net q Technical Discussion
Cots Country.

VIZ - i@FNs4 W h@BfNN&S%A ~ t@i8N'N
Of one Of our prominent cotton men.
While takes 1T up considerable space the
questions discussed are of interest 10
cotton producers and should be care
fully pernsed and considered by them.
To the Herald;
"A few weeks ago officials OF a cor
poration that ~ probably the largest
manufacturer Of pIows in the world were
In Vicksburg. They sell their piows IN
every state, and know the farming pos
sibilities In every state in the union.
They had Just made q careful inspec-
ton Of the Delta between Memphis and
Viekspurg aud they told a Vicksburg
merchant, their local representative,
that the Delta was the finest %agricultur-
al region in America and the most in
teresting TO them. This was not the
enthusiastic boast Of a patriot, not
the loyal advocacy of local newspaper,
not the ~extravagaut eulogF Dt- --
noter or hired ad advertiser; it was the
ample assertion Of American business
men who have plows To sell and are
iookirg for the region where the great
est sale for plows a be developed.
The gentlemen from Illinois had spe,
cial reference to the territory north OF
us, but east and south and west ARE
lands as good. The area Of which
Vieksburg il the commercial capital il
peculiarly blessed In soil, in climate
and IN the genius Of it's people. Geo
GRAPHICALLY and politically, it is the
center Of Dixie. Ii ia "C&ods country
in DANGER.
This land Is not doomed to financial
ruin, but IL Is in danger of huaneia
ruin. The man who does not realize
that we are facing q crisis 10 stupid o.
uniniorned or misinformed. The eBem,
~ nature. It's force is expressed net IL
hurricane or earthquake but in
wretehed bug-the boil weeyil.
1t would be tedious to review th'
havoc wrought in districts through
which the weevil has marched or Il
dwell on the conditions which make /
especially dangerous here. The weevi
may drive negro labor from us as effect
lively az a line Of infantry drives
weaker line before it with the bayonet
Ii Is not f~anciful to say this, for TIN
weeyil has driven some thousands o
negroes out Of Mississippi county and
Louisiana parish below us. We hav,
recently seen our landing blackeninI
day after day with these north boun
emigrants. We a believe what W
see, at least. Now, IL the farm Iaborer
Of this territory should emigrate in tn
same way, the following questions woul'
be pertinent.
Who will till the soil?
When there IL not sufficient labor Il
work the land, will not land value,
shrink like a piece of flannel?
How much less hardware will GU
hardware merchants sell?
How much less cloth will our dr.,
goods merchants sell?
How much less food will our grocer
sell?
Will not some of our merchants hav'
TO go where they can find customers?
How much good business will be lief
for the banks?
How many houses will be vacant il
the towns?
And answers to these questions cat
be obtained by visiting certain sections
of Louisiana. The hopeful will say tina
IL the negro goes he will be replaced a
once by Italians or other foreigners
but it will take time and great effort t.
bring the right kind Of foreigners here
With agricultural conditions in theiI
favor, both Louisiana and Mississippi
have found 1t hard to secure immigra
tion. Will 1t be any easier when tht
world knows we have the boil weevil?
WILL THEY FIGHT?
When General Gage first looked from
Boston at the entertainments which had