The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-07-18
WILSON TALKS OF
 CROP CONDITIONS Outlook Good in Alabama
 and Mississippi ss'aFrTt s=s DISCUSSES WEEVIL
Says Proper Precautions Will Do Much To Extirpate the Pest-Late Corn Is
 Doing Well

Columbus. Miss, July f.-(Special.)-b. S. Wilson, state agent for Mississippi and Alabama, representing the Farmers Co., operative Demonstrative association or the United States department of agrioul- ture, has just recently completed a three weeks visit through Mississippi and southern Alabama. MT. Wilson is provided with much data regarding the condition of crops in both these states and with reference to the cotton crop, no sm1x amount of information was given regarding those sections whose farmers have prepared during last winter and this spring for the advent of the boil weevil
 Lamar, Forest, Jasper, Pike, Amite ana Madison counties in Mississippi, all coun- ties which were last year infected, show crop conditions to be very promising Early, planted corn. has been damaged py the recent seven weeks drouth, but even this is great deal better than 1t prom sed just before the ns@began. One of the interesting points brought out by the condition which prevails is that the soil which has been rotated and properly pre-
 
 of vegetable matter and enjoys good stands. This fact is marked. The corn stood thee drouth much better than that on ground planted in corn last year. It also demonstrated benefits of thorough preparation of the soil. Corn planted in poorly prepared land, cultivated in the old-fashioned way, was completely ruined the rains coming too late to save it,
 Cotton is almost uniformly good While I have seen the stalk larger at this season, I have never seen it better fruited." says MT. Wilson. Dry weather caused the cotton plant to take deep root and to make stocky growth, beginning to fruit near the ground tre-
 Boil Weevil Pointer
 Since the rains began the Mexican boil weevil which up to this time had been kept under fairly good control, is becom- ing more numerous. Frequent rains and cloudy weather are favorable to the weevils development. While the weather larvae perished in the hot sun and never came to maturity. By keeping the cot ton well cultivated and keeping the punc- tured squares picked up and destroyed, where the sunshine did not suffice, in a great many cases the weevis were re- duced to minimum.
 "As those familiar with the weevil un- derstand," he says: '"rhe adult female weevil punctures the cotton square or bowl before it has opened at all and de- posits her egg in -his cavity, after which the square seals itself again. From this egg there is matched small white worm This larva lives upon the tender juices of the embryo cotton boil. This causes the square to fall off on the ground, where, if unmolested by man or if not subjected to the suns rays, the 1arva will go through the pupa stage and in a few days will emerge as a full grown weevil cap able of reproduction. Therefore it is inn portant to destroy every one of these fallen squares"
 Rain FavOrs Weevil In number of cases in south Missis- sippi, where infestation was heaviest by Following these methods, people had up to few days ago almost eliminated the weevil as far as their individual crop was concerned. However, for the last ten days it has been raining almost daily and this has been favorable to the weevil in two respects. They are not subjected to the burning rays of the summer sun and the farmer has been kept out of his field and the fallen squares have been, there- fore somewhat neglected. As result the weevils are becoming much more nll- merous. However. the people are begin ming to realize this and great many are getting busy picking up the destroyed fallen squares. They are doing this even where the fields are muddy and can't be cultivated. This Is a very important thing, as this is the only way they have of holding the weevil |. in check until weather conditions change.
 Conditions Excellent j,
 AS a whole I have never seen crop conditions better at this date than are now enjoyed in both Mississippi and Ala bama," MT. Wilson says. While, as above stated, early corn was somewhat damaged, the later platings are fine and where there is an apparent shortage of corn, 1t is being supplemented by peas and other quick growing large crops great many peanuts have been planted in south Mississippi and ave still being planted, even at this date. and land that was seeded to oats earlier in the year is now being planted in this same prod uct. As a rule the earlier plantings of peanuts are looking well and the pros pect for a heavy yield Is good, except in a few cases where the stands, were bad. This was to some extent due to a poor quality of seed and will cause the farmer to be particular hereafter in selecting sound peanuts for planting purposes.
 MT. Wilson aga:n advises all farmers to bear in mind all day and dream at righS-of the old advice. Plant more and buy less.'