The Port Gibson reveille. [volume] (Port Gibson, Miss.) 1890-current, 1909-02-11

~ 'Oaa " - ~N'f
weevil trains, and boll-weevil con
ventions are Affections, they are
feet winged messengers of disaster
Watch our prediction. the cottor
crop in Mississippi will yield just
as much per acre as usual"
The above words are taken from
the columns of one of the leading
papers in this State. The follow
ing words are taken from the re-
port of Mr.. Stringfellow and they
are the words of the farmers in the
infested districts of Texas. I leave
the matter without any comment
Mr.. Rothwell said. "Now want
you to understand the weevils were
not near SO bad this year as they
were in 1907. Some years they are
much worse than others, and il
your people have sent you here to
find out how to kill or conquer the
boll-weevil, you might as well re-
turn home, because it cannot be
successfully proved In Texas We
have our good and bad years. In
1906, 1 had in cotton 200 acres and
made 76 bales In 1907, I had 200
acres in cotton and made only 49
bales"
DR.. Thompson gave me his opin-
ion of holl weevilS. said theys had
been i'll Collin county for years,
aud no method had become known
to counter act their iavages; they
damaged according To season. He
knew If 20 acres planted ii cotton
in 1906 that made IA bales; this
same twenty acres made less than
two bales in 1907. He knew OF ii
acres planted in cotton in 1906 and
made 9 bales; this same land made
one bale in 1907.
"pr. G5Dsoff says ~@when boil
weevils first appeared it looked
like starvation for three years.
Said he changed his tactics and
raised everything on the farm that
would support the farm; Topped off
all expenses; conditions improved,
the boil weevil grew less, better
crops were made, the economy con-
tinued, and he has recovered from
his losses and his farm is OH pay
ing basis /"
Mr.. Ferguson's reply was,
"Some years I make and some
years lose all l have made on cot
ton, If l did not diversity my
crop, l would lose out altogether,
Before the boil weevil came, / aver
aged one-half bale of cotton to the
acre, but since their advent, do
average more than oue-third of a
bale to the acre. 1 raise plenty of
corn, oats and hay, then mules,
horses, and hogs. I plant just as
early as the spring will admit. even
taking the chances of being caught
by the frost. When the cotton is up
and ready to chop, put it to one
stalk and work it as quick and
rapidly as possible. Cultivate all
the time. If we have seasonable
rains, you will get ahead of the
boil weevil and make fair crop o.
cotton. IF rains come on you II
excess in June and July, "the jig
Is up" and the boil weevil will &c
you"
G. T. Hit said, "Since Dol
weevil came have not found cot
ton raising profitable. Neithe
do l understand the pest; SOM
years we make fair, but not gooe
crops, and some years not SO good
Never made but one absolute fail
ure; that was in 1903. In 1907 W
made a short In 1908 our higl
lands are doing well; but cottol
next to timber has about been de
stroyed by the boil weeyil: ! hav
about made a living and playe1
even since 1905" S
/ told captain Watt my mission
He said, 'StringfelIow, stop ex
pense aud go back home and tel
your people Texas has not solve
the boil weevil problem and neve
will: Good seasons make the crcr
Bad seasons aud the boil weev
destroy 1t. First you must rails
everything the farm consumes, an
make cotton your surplus crop
Abolish the one horse sweep an