The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1911-08-12
TO HELP FARMERS GROW COT.
TON.
Southern Railway Company Tells
Farmers How to Grow Cotton i'm
BOll Weevil Districts.

HHieS' oI the southern Railway
Company, realizing the possibility of
the further spread Of the Mexican
| cotton boil weevil to the eastward is
| taking steps to advise farmers in the
territory along the lines of the
southern Railway Company, Ala
bama Great Southern Railroad Com
| pany, the NJ obile and Ohio Railroad
Company and the Georgia Southern
and Florida Railway Company, in To-
calities to which there is even a re-
! mote possibility that the weevil may
spread. as to the methods that must
be adopted for maintaining cotton
production under boil weevil condi.
tiOns. Farmers west Of the Mississfp-
pi River, where the weevil has been
| present for several years, have
| learned how to grow cotton success
fully in spite Of its presence. They
| have learned this lesson generally at
the cost Of short crops for two or
| three years. IN the fall Of last year
President Finley organized Cot
ton Culture Department, in charge
| OF Mr.. T. o. Plunke t, with head
quarters at Chattanooga, Tenn. with
| seven field agents to work In those
localities where it is possible that the
weevil may eventually appear. Mr..
| Plunkett and all Of the agents Of
! this department have had practical
experience in the growing Of cotton
| under boil weevil conditions. All of
| the expenses Of the Cotton Culture
Department are borne by the par
ticipating railways and the services
of its agents are absolutely free to
all farmers along the lines Of these
railways.
The work Of this department has
| been so successful and the services
| OF Its agents have been so highly ap-
preciated by the farmers that Presi-
| dent Finley has determined to ex-
tend the wo.k further eastward.
Mr.. r. E. Grabel has been ap-
pointed agent Of the Cotton Depart
| fnent at Macon. Ca, to work along
the line Of the Southern Railway be-
tween Macon and Brunswick, and
along the Georgia Southern and
Florida Railway in Georgia and North
Florida. Four additional agents are
to be employed for work along the
lines Of the Southern Railway, the
Alabama Great Southern Railroad.
and the Mobile and Ohio Railroad, in
central and eastern Alabama Un-
| less circumstances should make some
other arrangement advisable these
agents will have their headquarters at
Alfalfa, Admission, Tuscaloosa, and
| Maplesville. Ala. Mr.. Grabel has had
practical experience in growing cot
ton in boil weevil territory and four
other men with like experience are
to be selected for the Alabama agen-
cies. The weevil has not spread to
any Of the localities to which these
agents have been assigned and there
Is no reason to expect it's early ap-
pearance in them. The purpose Of
esta blishing the work in these local
tiles is to enable the farmers to be
thoroughly prepared for the weevil IL
1t shall at any time enter their fields.
Fortunately. the cultural methods
advised by the Cotton Culture De-
partment are identically those which
the late DR.. S. A. Knapp. Of the Uni
ted States Agricultural Department,
recommended for increasing the pro-
duction Of cotton whether the weevil
be present or not.
Farmers throughout the cotton belt
Will. therefore, find it profitable to
adopt these methods, even though the
weevil may never spread to their
farms.
AS further step in aid Of the
work Of the Cotton Culture Depart
ment, President Finley has prepar-
ed a circular letter incorporating DR..
Knapp's advice which is being dis
tributed to farmers in all cotton
growing territory along the lines Of
the railways above mentioned. Farm
ers along the lines Of these companies
may obtain copies Of this circular
letter by addressing w. w. Finley,
President of the Southern Railway
Company. Washington, d. C.