The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1911-06-01
GETTING READY
FOR THE WEEv|L
-
BOIL WEEVIL WILL INVADE
THE WHOLE COTTON BELT,
DOING GREAT DAM
AGE.
Intelligent Men, Using Best Meth
DDS, Will Continue to Grow
Cotton PrOfitabIy.

III any eu0cIlVe preparation lOf
the coming of the boil weevil is
TO be made by any section, it is
essential, in the first place. that the
farmers of that section be cOnvinc-
ed that this pest will in due time
come to them. In the second place,
they must realize as fully as pos
Sible the exact results which the
coming of the boil weevil produces.
Not only must they appreciate its
effect on the growing of cotton, but
the ymust also understand the
broader effect on the general bust
ness and farming methods of the
community.
Because it is almost impossible
to pet the masses of the people TO
believe, appreciate and understand
thse facts, as they actually exist
or have existed in other sections,
no section has yet been known fully
to prepare for the boil weevil, or,
for any similar pest.
We have little hope, therefore,
of convincing the farmers of the
whole cotton belt, not yet invaded
by the boil weevil, that it is as
certain to come to them and bring
with it a train of perplexing diff
ficulties such as they probably have
never been called upon to meet.
as death and taxes" are certain
to come to them. But without any
desire to unduly alarm or to state
anything but the useful truth, we
are thoroughly convinced that the
boil weevil will invade the entire
cotton belt. This is not an idle
speculation, nor what we wish were
true but it is the only logical con-
clusion to be drawn from what is
known of the pest and its conduct
up to this time. Wherever the
winters are too long or too cold
for the boil weevil, the summers
are too short for the successful cul-
tivation of cotton. About two years
ago the writer was in the western
part of county in western Missis-
sippi where the boil weevil had
done great damage to the cotton
crop and the people were greatly
and rightfully alarmed. The next
day we visited the eastern part
of the same county. A few boil
in sufficient numbers to do much
harm. The fact that they were
there, caused many otherwise in
tellioent farmers to state that they
did not believe the boil weevil would
ever do much harm in that section.
A year later, however, these men
were convinced Of the absurdity of
their reasoning, and all other cotton
growers who are going along in the
old way in the false security of such
a belief are due to experience a
rude awakening.
There is only one safe and sane
conclusion and that is that the boil
weevil will invade the entire cot
ton belt. Any other conclusion is
not based on known facts and simp-
ly means greater disaster than is
necessary
Not only will the boil weevil in 4
wade the entire cotton belt east
of the Mississippi river, but it will
do sufficient damage to the cotton
crop to make marked changes in
business. methods absolutely nee
essary
If it be accepted that the boil
weevil will continue his march east
ward and northward until the whole
cotton belt is covered, then the next
most interesting question to those
living in the territory not yet in
vaded is: What damage will he
do when. he does come? Judging
from what he has done in the ter
ritory already invaded he will for
several years reduce the cotton crop
to from one-half to one-tenth its
present size. In some counties in
Mississippi and Louisiana he has
caused a much greater reduction
than 90 per cent. Counties that
produced from 10000 to $4,000 bales
have gone down to from 100 to g.
GOO bales. In the whole state of
louisiana the average crop for five
years 1900 to 1904 inclusive, before
the appearance of the boil weevil,
was about $4,000 bales. and for the
years 1908 to 1910 inclusive, since
the coming of the boil weevil, the
crop has averaged $4,000 bales. In
other words, for the last three years
the average crop has been about
s. per cent of the average crop for
the five years, 1900 to 1904 inciu-
sive. That this decrease in the crop
is not due. entirely to a decreased
acreage is shown by the fact that
the acreage for the years 1908 to
1910 inclusive, was little over 70
per cent of the acreage FIR the
years 1900 to 1904 inclusive. In 9th
er words, decrease Of less than
80 per cent in acreage, plus the
damage done by the boil Weevils,