The true Democrat. [volume] (Bayou Sara [La.]) 1892-1928, 1909-02-27
The Common Sense of 1t.

gent a writer on agricultural
subjects on the Louisiana press
delivers himself, as follows, on
the boil weevil question. More /
over he asks his readers to cut
out his editorial and keep it for
future reference land vindica-
tion.) He says:
1.-THE writer, to satisfy himself
thoroughly has carefully read
and studied every bulletin is
sued by the crop pest commits
sion and agricultural bureau.
Besides these, he has read the
reports made by sundry persons
from Louisiana and Mississippi
who went to the boil weevil in
fected districts of Texas and
saw the crops of cotton that were
being grown in those sections,
despite the presence of the boil
weevil; and, lastly, we have read
and considered the startling an
nouncement made by Capt. B.
| w. Marston. that he had, on two
of his plantations, by the use OF
paris green applied to cotton
when quite young, made one bale
of cotton per. acre, and these two
plantations, had their full quota
of the genuine Mexican boil wee
vii on the cotton grown on these
places. Our first conclusion
was, that if all the methods sug-
gested by the crop pest commits
sion were a necessity to grow
cotton, that we would not want
to attempt to plant a patch OF
, cotton bigger than ONE ACRE OF
land and that one acre so close to
the home in which we lived that
we could be in it at first break
of day, have our meals sent to us,
| and remain on that one acre OF
2 land until pitch dark.
Gust think of what the crop
Ipest commission did tell us mus
be done. Here 1t is. Plant early,
: which would mean latter part OF
e March or first days in April
n Pick all squares that fall on the
x ground and BURN them. Ferti
lie and rapidly cultivate. Ii
/ early fall, not later than Nov
S the first, BURN all stalks on thu
n ground, and Immediately pillow
e the ground, preparatory to grow
Il ing the crop of next year. LIE
US coolly consider what all Thu
l. would mean. In the first place
n the man who would plant early
IS the chances would be about min
IL to one, that that planting woul'
r. be plowed up for lack OF a stand
- :, To pick up all squares until tn
l., crop would be laid by would no
Id only be a big job but tedlousl
a foolish. To burn all old stalk
IS before November the first woul
~ be requiring an almost imposs
~ bility. The other suggestions b
IN the commission are good. III
ne Captain Marston application {
to paris green is certainly wort
an trying. To disbelieve what h
~ claims he has done, would b
"l equivalent to saying that a ma
'al of wealth, a practical planter,
er man who enjoys the contiden(
ma of his district enough to ele'
he him to a seat in the Louisial
Is. State Senate, was not worthy
m belief.
or Lastly, the statement OF fac
eet made by parties who have gol
ch to Texas in search of inform
his ton and who have given out as
: certainty, that Texas is grown
in cotton and almost as much
led ever was grown before the b.
ra- weeyil came to the state, lea
Ir. us naturally to ask, how do
red Texas do it? Our answer is, tn
to Texas does plant about the ust
the time that it did plant before t
e boil weevil came, but Tez
=, j plants early maturing varietl
4, of seed, pushes the cultiVatl
s. all that is possible, and when
B. summers are not too wet, Tex
IS. with the boil weevil in eve
L. county of the state, is maxi Ia
1t fair crops of cotton. But, LEI
is not picking up squares
=. burning up all stalks Dur
.Sldamn and rainV wears, Ie1