The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1910-11-26
THE BOIL WEE.VIL.
| IN ABOUT -FOUR YEARS IT WILL
REACH THIS STATE.

| IN ABOUT; -FOUR YEARS 1T Will
REACH THIS STATE.
Our Farmers Should Begin to Pre-
pare to Fight and Throttle Thi
Great Pest.
/ The Augusta Herald says the boil
weevil is a tangible: evil, terrible
.Epest. The farmers Of Texas hai'
realized this years ago. The far
liners Of Louisiana have learned i
i, since, and THE farmers of Mississippi
are learning it noI'. This terrible
insect doesn't destroy all the cotton
:but wherever it makes its appear
! iance ITS ravages so greatly reduc;
the yield that cotton growing be
comes Improbable.
Ever. since its first appearance
in Texas fight has been madeSol
it. Individual farmers have done al
they could ito check Its spread. Thi
state governments of the states az
fected aided : In the work, and tn;
federal government went to the lin,
it Of it's resources aiding in the fgh'
but all to no avail. No method has
been discovered to exterminate these
fweevils where they have once ap
peared, nor even to check their ad'
vance.
This. has been steady. From the
district first infested the boil weevi
has moved eastward and northward
steadily and almost regularly, Sc
that it row only appears now thai
the entire cotton belt will be affect
ed, but almost the time may be set
for it's appearance in any county, OF
when there shall be no uninfested
district left:
AS yet there are no bool weeylls
in Georgia, but unless method is
found for fighting the pest, more sue
cessful than any so far. discovered,
the time is near when Georgia also
will be the loser by its ravages. In
anticipation of this coming calan-
ity a great convention is to be held
in , the near future in Atlanta, at
which the situation will be fully dis
cussed and the best protective course
mapped out.
On this same line the Southern
railway, so greatly interested indi-
rectly in the success of cotton grow
ing, has issued a circular giving ad
vice as to the best course to pursue
after the boil weevil shall have made
its appearance. This Is,
l.. The destruction of tie weevtls
in the fall by burning. ali rubbish
and material in and about the field
which might serve for hiberna'!ug
quarters of the weevils.
2. Breaking (plowing) the soil as
deep as conditions will allow.
8. The shallow winter cultivation
Of the soil If no cover crop Is used,
4. Delaying the planting till the
soil and temperature are warm
enough to make it safe.
S. The planting OF early-matur-
ing varieties Of cotton.
G.. The use of fertilizers.
7. Leaving more space between
the rows, and on ordinary uplands
having a greater distance between
plants in the row than is usually al
lowed.
s. The use of the section harrow
before and after planting and on
the young cotton.
9. Intensive shallow cultivation.
10. Agitation of the stalks by
means of brush attached to the cul.
tivator.
II. Picking up and burning the
squares that fall under the weevil
conditions, especially during the
first thirty or forty days of infesta.
tion.
l2. Controlling the growth OF
the plant if excessive by deep and
close cultivation.
13. Selecting the seed.
IA. The rotation Of crops and
the use Of legumes.
AS soon as cotton can be gathered
if the stalks are still green AMI
growing, kill all unmatched weevi.s
in squares and immature bolls, anf
at the same time deprive the adll
weerils of food and breeding
grounds by Immediately cutting ant
burning all the cotton stalks.
The earlier this can be done the
better. Where a sufficient number
of cattle can be turned into the felt
to eat it clean in a few days this
may be done, instead of cutting ant
burning the stalks.
In heavy soils, where the winter
rainfall Is heavy, 1t may answer tt
cut the stalks and plow them under
but care must be taken to have tht
stalks completely covered and turn
ed as deeply as possible.
This section is still remote frcu
the infested district, and it IS to bt
hoped that some method will bt
discovered for eXterminatlng thi;
pest, before it shall reach here.
Town Burned Down.