The Port Gibson reveille. [volume] (Port Gibson, Miss.) 1890-current, 1911-04-13

/ pared iandS tniS thirsty SuD.SOll
will absorb and take care of far
more water than it could do follow
ing winters of normal rainfall.
With the same rainfall that we had
in June and July Of 1910, We can,
therefore, do more and better cul-
tivation than We were able to do.
last year.
A much larger per centage of
the total area planted to cotton in
1917, is well prepared and will be
planted in quicker maturing seed
than was the case-ia 1870.
The greater familiarity Of our
labor with better and more rapid
methods of cultivation, win largely
minimize the danger of the crop
getting in the grass-an almost fa-
tai error in any calculation to
make cotton under boil weevil con-
ditions.
A thorough understanding of the
above obvious advantages that are
already ours, can not but have the
effect to inspire confidence, and
since the world was young mo man
has ever put forth his best efforts
unless he had faith in his ability to
perform his prescribed task. Con-
fdence in our ability to do is a
prime requisite in this economic
battle of ours, and yet | would not
inspire that blind unreasoning con-
hdence that overestimates our own
strength and laughs at the strength
of the enemy
Let us have that confidence,
rather, that comes from a full
knowledge of the-situation, and
that reckons on the certainty of a
reserve strength that will carry US
through the most desperate ex-
tremities.
All the advantages enumerated
above may prove of no avail if we
fail to do our work thoroughly.
We know that we must make the
bulk of the cotton crop in the
months of June and July. To do
that we must have qulck-matur-
ing variety of cotton, and We must
give it immunity during that time,
as nearly complete as possible,
against the ravages of the weevil.
The only known way to give it this
immunity IS to destroy such over
wintered weevlls as come out on
the young cotton, before they can
do much damage, and later destroy
the immature weeviIs in the pune
tured squares. At present, the
concensus of opinion is that the
cheapest and most efectual way to-
do this is to hand-pick the old
weevils and pick up and burn the
punctured squares.
If you can succeed in getting
your labor to believe thoroughly in
the efficacy of these things, they
will do the work well, and your
success is assured. This is where
the personal element enters in.
One man may succeed in getting it
done we'll, another may partially
fail; rest assured that it is the only
complete par value insurance We
have against adverse weather con-
ditions.
If we fail under these conditions
lit will be an unthinkable misfor
tune to us. It would be tacit
admission to the world at large of
our incurable incompetence, in.
that we have wofully failed to do
what Others in less favored sec
tions have done nobly and well.
1t would be thinly veiled invita-
tation to more virile people to
come in and price the lands that.
have been ours by birthrighs and
inheritance; and when our mess Of
pottage is forgotten We can but
weep over our folly, and look from
afar on prosperity that might nave
been ours.
We can not afford to fail; sue
cess for US this year means too
much. # we can demonstrate to
the world our ability to make q
profitable crop of cotton under
boil weevil conditions, the first
benefit that will accrue, will be the
gradual but sure return of the la
Dor that we have allowed to slin