The Port Gibson reveille. [volume] (Port Gibson, Miss.) 1890-current, 1911-02-02
ENCOURAGING LETTER
Government Agent Believes That
Cotton Can Be Grown
Successfully.


to show that we had reasons to be-
lieve that we might make crop OF
cotton easier in 1911 than in 1910.
promised to give names and To-
ealities of men who made good
crops of cotton in 1910, and who
occupied the same position rela-
tive to the time of weevil infesta-
ton that we do in 1911.
Before doing this it might be
well to give a resume of my former
articles.
1st. The all cotton system was
wrong and ought to have been
changed long ago.
and. The boil weevil forced a
change of system and method.
ard. Cotton must now be grown
as surplus crop.
4th. The extremely unfavorable
season of 1910 had as much to do
with the shortage as the boil
weevil.
5th. Lack of confidence handi-
capped the farmer from the start.
9th. Natural enemies of the
weevil hold them in check to some
extent after three years.
9TH. The killing frost of Oct.
18th killed all immature weevils
and forced mature weevils into hi
bernation three weeks earlier than
usual.
9Th. Everything points to the
conclusion that the over-wintered
weeviIs will be less numerous in
1917 than they were in 1910.
9th. The law of probabilities in
dlcate that we will have more Ia
Vorable season for growing cotton
in 1917 than in 1910.
10th. There is a strong under
current of confidence in our peo-
pie, and that current was notice
able in 1910.
Ihave just returned from trip
into Franklin parish, Louisiana,
where l interviewed numbers of
men, white and black, who made
from one-half to one bale of cotton
per acre in 1910. These men tell
me they passed through an initial
period of panic and decentralization
as we have done; that they let a
great deal of labor slip away from
them as we are doingi that they
woke from their lethargy with the
determination to fight to the last
ditch as we MUST do. In 1909 some
of these men, in the extremity of
despair, and in a paroxYsm OF
dread because they saw countless
thousands of weevils crawling over
the young cotton, plowed up that
cotton and planted corn. These
men who got "cold feet" saw
neighbors just across ditch or
fence make and gather one-half
bale of cotton per acre, and then
they wanted to hire some one to
kick them. In 1910 the "cold
feet" fellows planted cotton, came
up to the mourner's bench, con.
fessed their sins, received the sac
rament of confidence, and made
three fourths of a bale per acre
lust the same as their bulldog
neighbors of 1909. These men,
while not agreeing on all the de-
tails, have certain general princi
pies that govern them all. They
agree on the following points, viz
The early and complete destruc
ton of cotton stalks a normalyear
as when a killing frost occurs
about November 18th. The earl.
preparation OF the land, and get
ting a firm seed bed to plant on
The planting of early maturing va
rieties, as represented by "King'
Reimprovedn "Simpkins" AM
uMoney Maker. Theplanting a
early as the season will permit
say from April 1st to April 18th.
The reduction of acreage so tha
the crop will not run the risk c
getting IN the grass. Rapid, long
continued cultivation, shallow al
ter the cotton begins bearing. Th
picking OF the weevils off the youn
cotton before it begins to max
squares, the picking up and d.
stroying The punctured squares VI
til about July 18th, the continui
ton of rapid, shallow cultivatio
rrt;l ahouf Auoust rxth. Th;