Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1910-04-19
Mr.. FINLEY ADVISES FARMERS.
President of Southern Railway Writes
Interestingly.

Interestingly.
Editor Yorkville Enquirer:
My close business association with
the south and my intense interest in
everything bearing on southern pros
perity prompt me to write to you on
the present outlook for agriculture in
the south with special reference to the
cotton situation.
| The world demand for cotton is con-
stantly increasing. DR.. S. A. Knapp Of
the United States agricultural depart
, ment, has estimated that it doubles
once in about twenty-five years. This
means that the farmers of our section
will be called upon for larger supplies
in future years. The practical question
Is how this increased demand can be
supplied so as to yield the largest mar
gin of profit to our farmers.
Coincident with the increased de-
mand for cotton, the prices of grains,
forage crops and meat PRODUCES OF all
kinds are advancing. l do not believe,
| therefore, that it should be the policy
of our farmers to increase their cotton
| production by planting larger areas, to
tine exclusion of other crops or the
neglect of livestock growing. l would
suggest, on the contrary. that more at
| tention be given to the diversification
of crops and to live stock, and that cot
| ton production be increased by the
adoption of those methods of seed Sc
lection, soil preparation and cultivation
| which will result in larger yields per
acre. There Is reason to believe that
tine demand for cotton will generally
| maintain the price at a level that will
| make intensive cultivation profitable,
but, If conditions should be such as to
depress the price in some seasons, the
kfarmer who has grown his own corn
and meat, and who has live stock and
, other farm products for sale, will be af-
fected much less by the low price OF
cotton than vii, ne who has nothing
for sale but cotton, and who must buy
meat for his family and feed for mis-
work animals. l believe that the south
can keep pace with the growing de-
mand for cotton and can, at the same
time, increase it's output Of other farm
products.
1t may be objected that the possible
spread Of the Mexican cotton boil Wee
vii east of the Mississippi river will
tend to reduce the average production
per acre in the areas affected, and
make it impossible to keep pace with
the demand for cotton without increas-
ing the acreage at the expense of 9TH
er crops. l believe tnat study or the
effect Of the weevil in the localities
where it has been longest present does
not sustain this objection. In fact,
while the weevi is the most serious In
sect pest that the cotton grower has
been called upon to combat, it has been
demonstrated that by the adoption of
proper methods it can be so far con-
| trolled that substantially as large
Yields per acre can be obtained as be-
| fore it's invasion, and what is of more
| importance to the south as whole, the
methods tina, have been developed in
fI:hting the weevil are identically those
which will serve to increase the pro-
duction per acre in those localities
where the insect is unknown. They are
methods, therefore, the adoption OF
| which in regions where the weevil eX-
lists is imperative, but which may be
adopted with profit by the cotton grow
| Or IN apy mart Of the SOuth.
| The weevi crossed the Rio Grande
into Texas about 1892, but did not at
tract general attention until 1894, since
which year, as the area in which 1t Is
present has gradually increased, the in
sect itself and methods of controlling 1t
have been subjects of constant study
by the United States agricultural de-
partment, state agricultural ofticlals
and intelligent farmers. The di-
| rection and extent of it's spread
cannot be predicted with certainty, but
the farmers east Of the Mississippi
have the great advantage of the kn"wl-
edge and experience gained in the cam
paign that has been waged against II
for sixteen years in the territory west
of the river, where it has been demon
strated that cotton can be grown sue
cessfuly and prOfitably in spite of its
presence.
| This may be illustrated by some facts
as to production under boil weevil con-
ditions. In the state of Texas the area
in which it is present, as shown by the
accompanying chart Of that state, mas
been approximately the same since
1906, embracing by far the greater part
of the cotton growing area of the state
Yet the two largest crops ever pro-
| duced in TeXaS-thOse of 1906 and 1903
were grown under these boil wecVil
conditions. There are fluctuations IN
| the size of the crop in Texas as Veil
as in other parts of the cotton belt, put
where scientific methods of combat
ing it are adopted. these fluctuations
are due not so much to the presence OF
| the boil weevil as to weather condl-
tions. Thus the crop of 1909 in Texas
was more than million bales below the
crop of 1908, but DR.. Knapp, has eX-
pressed the opinion that, but for the
| excessively hot and dry weather which
prevailed in the middle of the growing
season, the yield would have been the
largest in the history of cotton grow
| ing in the state. He points out as sig
nificant the fact that the greatest de-
crease as compared with 1908 was in
the dry western part of the state, where
the weevil is least prevalent. While IN
the eastern counties, where the insect
is most numerous, there was the least
| falling off. Dr. Knapp estimates rough
" that the falling off in the eastern
part of the state, where the weevll was
worst, was only about per cent; IN
the central part, about 2S per cent ana
in the western part, where the weevll
is less prevalent. about 81 per cent
tending to show that the short crop IN