The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1910-06-29
THE COTTON BOIL WEEvIL
LESSONS FROM THE CROP OF
1909 IN WEEVIL DISTRICT.
Prof. Knapp, Special Agent of the
Government, Gives Results
of Investigation.

of Investigation.
The season of 1909, while one of
the worst we have ever known for
the cotton crop in all but the At
lantic states, taught some valuable
lessons, writes Prof. S. A Knapp,
special agent in charge of the boil
weevil investigation.
First, it demonstrated that a crop
of cotton, under heavy boil weevil
infestation, could be made after July
LIST, provided the farmers pick up the
punctured squares and work the field
intensively In fact, there were very
few bolls on the cotton plants in
Louisiana and southwest Mississippi
on July /, 1909. The weather then
became dry and warm, and such as
followed the instructions of the gov
eminent demonstration work made
fair crop of cotton, both on the al
luvial bottoms and on the hill lands,
and the planters who failed to follow
such instructions made very little.
Louisiana has always had years of
a short cotton crop, due to adverse
weather conditions. The crop of
1905, though practically unaffected
by the weeyil, was only 511, 1888
bales, which is less than half the
product of 1904. Owing to loss of
labor and fear of the boil weeyil
about 80 per cent. less than normal
acreage was planted to cotton in
1909, and when practically no cot
ton was made up to July list such
was the alarm that a large area of
cotton was plowed up and planted to
other crops. The amount plowed
up or abandoned is estimated by
good judges at 40 per cent. But
allow that it was 20 per cent, de-
Quoting from the probable crop in
such season, to-wit: 511, 73S bales,
the 80 per cent. not planted and 20
per cent. plOWed up or abandoned,
and the crop of Louisiana, without
allowing anything for weevil dam
age, should have been about $780,
574 bales. AS far as can be ascer-
tanned the crop was about 1000
bales. This clearly proves that the
fright is more damaging than the
weevil.
The second item emphasized by the
experience of 1909 is the Importance
of picking up and burning the pune
tured squares. There never had been
any question but picking up the
squares in the forepart of the sea-
son would check the weevIls, but it
was proven in 1909 that it was eff
fective after the field was fully in
tested if rapid cultivation was con-
tinued.
The third item of value demon
strated by the season of 1909 is the
Importance of having the land well
drained so the crop can be worked
as soon as the rain ceases. Under
boil weevil conditions the heavy
black land and the poorly drained
fields should be devoted to other
crops, because intensive working of
the crop is a necessity. There must
be no weeds and no grass in the
crop.
Fourth, the past season has added
its conclusive testimony in favor Of
the plan for making cotton under
boil weevil infestation, which plan,
approved by the United States de-
partment of agriculture, is as fol-
lows:
l. The destruction of the weevils
in the fall by burning all rubbish
and material in and about the field
which might serve for alternating
quarters of the weevils, and break
ing (plowing) the soil as deep as
conditions will allow.
2. The shallow winter cultivation
of the soil if no cover crop is used.
3. Delaying the planting till the
soil and temperature are warm
enough to make it safe.
4, The planting of early-maturing
varieties of cotton.
5. The use of fertilizers.
6. Leaving more space between
the rows, and on ordinary uplands
having a greater distance between
plants in the row than is usually al
lowed.
Z. The use of the section harrow
before and after planting and on the
young cotton.
8. Intensive shallow cultivation.
8. Agitation of the stalks by
means of brush attached to the cul-
tivator.
10. Picking up and burning the
squares that fall under weevil con-
ditions, especially during the first
thirty or forty days of infestation.
II. Controlling the growth of the
plant if excessive by deep and close
cultivation while the plant is grow
ing.
-. Selecting the seed.
10. The rotation of crops and the
use of legumes.
1t will be noted that the system, as
outlined, has a twO-fold object: %
To reduce the number of weevils and