The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1909-09-18
Destroy Cotton Stalks Early.
Yrrda, La, Sept. IA, 1909

| Editor COifaX Chronicle:
| am sure you will see the impor-
tance of the following letter from
DR.. s. A. Knapp, special U. s. agent
in-eharge of the Farmers Co-Opera-
tive Demonstration Work, and give
it place in your paper. The weather
conditions give US the best opportu-
nifty to destroy the boil weevil since
he has appeared.
| would be glad to address any
meeting in VIM or Grant parish
where farmers or Others interested
are assembled. and will do so if no.
titled in advance. Can give data
showing that it pays the individual
as well rs his community to destroy
the cotton stalks.
Sincerely yours,
II. l.. BRIAN,
| Special Local Agent.
| The circular letter follows:
| Without question one of the most
important things to be done in re-
ducing the number of weevils SO that
a crop OF cotton can be successfully
made is to destroy the stalks in the
fall, not later than the 10th of Octob-
er, if possible.
| This has been SO fully demonstrate
ed by the Bureau of Entomology that
it does not require discussion here.
The practical difficulty has been that
in most years the cotton has matur-
ed SO late that it was impossible to
get anything like concerted move
nent among the farmers to DESTROY
the cotton stalks early enough to be
of much value. This fall isan excep-
ton. In the entire cotton belt the
cotton is maturing SO rapidly that
it will he impossible for the farmers
to make a general movement to de-
stroy the stalks. 1t is of compara-
lively small value, in SO far as the
general effect is concerned. for a few
farmers to carry out this policy, but
if it is possible to induce SO many
farmers to enter into the movement
that it practically becomes universal,
so many weevils can be destroyed
that it will be easier to make a crop
next year.
| 1--WE therefore recommend that
public meetings he called in every
county and parish in the Cotton
States infested with the weevil and a
strong public pressure he brought to
bear for the universal destruction of
the cotton stalks before the 10th of
October, or earlier il possible. 1t is
not necessary here to 20 into details
for cutting and destroying. Every
farmer knows how that is done. AS
SOON as the stalks are destroyed. deep
fall-break the land, then little later
burn all the rubbish and grass sur
rounding the field. In that way al
most the entire crop OF weevils will
be destroyed. 1t should be under
stood that the weevils that come ont
the following season and do damage
IRE those that mature late in the
season and if there is no cotton left
standing it will be so long before
| winter that the weevils must die.
This advice for destroying the stalks
should apply also to distance of.at
least fifty miles in advance of the
present infestation of the weevil, SO
that il any large number should lea We
the infested territory and migrate i'm
the fall as usual, we shall catch them
in their new camping ground.
1T was supposed by some that the
late hot weather would SO materially
reduce the number of weevils that
some late crops would be made. This
has not been the case to anv apreci-
able extent. This season has been
an exceedingly unfavorable one for
the cotton planter; excessive rainfall
at critical period of the crop and
unusual drouth at another, with
more than normal infestution of the
weevil, all the time up to this date,
except in a few limited areas. Our
Demonstration Work has proven
that good crop of cotton can he
made even under these adverse con-
ditions. but it is unfair for one farm
er to winter. over weevils to DESTROY
his neighbors' crop. We trust that
the farmer viii not only destroy his |
own stalks, but use his influence to
secure the destruction Of his neigh
bors'. We urge that this advice he |
taken in Texas, Oklahoma, Louisi-
ana, Arkansas and Mississippi. The
plan is worth a thorough trial. |
There may not be another season as
favorable as this for many years.
"We especially urge all the Field
Agents OF this Department to use
their utmost endpa yOr tn carry out |
this policy. Respectfully.