The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1911-08-10
HELPING FARMERS
TO STAY RAVAGES OF THE COT
TON BOIL WEEVIL.

TO STAY RAVAGEs OF THE COT
TON BOIL WEEVIL.
The Southern Railway Has Several
Experts Who Are Helping to Kill
Out the Pests.
President Finley, Of the Southern
Railway Company, realizing the pos
sibili.y 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 Com
pany, Alabama Great Southern Rail-
road Company, the Mobile & Ohio
Railroad Company, and the Georgia
Southern and Florida Railway Com
pany, in localities to which there is
even a remote possibility that the
weevil may spread, as to the meth
DDS that must be adopted for main
tanning cotton reduction under boil
weevil conditions. Farmers west
of the Mississippi River, where the
weevil has ben present for sveral
years, have learned how to grow cot
ton successfully in spite Of its pres
ence. They have learned this les
son generally at the cost of short
crops for two or three years. In
the fall of last year President Fin
ley organized a Culture Departm ent,
in charge of Mr.. T. o Plunkett, with
headquarters at Chattanooga Tenn,
with seven field agents to work in
those localities where it is possible
that the weevil may eventually ap-
pear.
Mr.. Plunkett and all of the agents
Of this Department have had prac-
tical experience in the growing of
cotton under boil weevil conditions.
All of the expenses of the Cotton
Culture Department ara borne by
the participating railways and the
services of its agents are absolute
ly 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 work further eastward.
Mr.. R. E Grabel has been appoint
ed agent Of the Cotton Department
at Macon, Ga, to work along the
the Southern Railway between Ma
con and Brunswick, and along tho
Georgia Southern and Florida Rail-
way in Georgia and North Florida.
Four additional agents are to be
employed for work along the lines
of the Southern Railway, the Ala
bama Geeat Southern Railroad, an
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
a: Attala, Admission, Tuscaloosa, and
Moplesville, Ala.
Mr.. Grabel has had practical ex-
perience in growing cotton in boil
weevil territory and four other men
with like experience are to be select
ed for Alabama agencies. The wee
vii has not spread to any of the To-
calities to which these agents have
been assigned and there is NO rea-
son to expect it's early appearance
in them. The purpose Of establish
ng the work is to enable farmers to
be thoroughly prepared for the wee
vii it shall at any time enter their
fields.
Fortunately, the cultura meth
DDS advised by the Cotton Culture
Department are identically those
which the late DR.. S. A. Knapp, Of
the United States Agricultural De-
partment, recommended for increas-
ing the production of cotton whether
the weevil be present or not.
Farmers throughout the cotton
belt will, therefore, find it profita-
BILE to adopt these methods, even
though the weevil NAV never spread
to their farms.
AS a further step in aid of the
work Of the Cotton Culture Depart
ment, President Finley has prepared
a circular letter incorporating DR..
Knapps advice which is being dis
tributed to farmers in all cotton
growing territory along the lines of
the railways above mentioned. Far
mers along the Lines of these Com
panies may obtain copies of this cir
cular letter by addressing W. w.
Finley. President of the Southern
Railway Company, Washington, d. c.
-e-p-o-