The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1911-09-27
WILL SOON BE HERE
BOIL WEEvIL COMING INTO
SOUTH CAROLINA.

The Principal Protection Against the
Pest is the Birds, and for that Rea-
son They Should be Protected.
The approach of the cotton boil
weevil is fraught with danger to the
principal industry OF South Carolina
the planting of cotton. Incidental !
ly it must affect US all, since general |
prosperity is dependent on the sue
cess of agriculture.
I have recently visited the region
in Alabama and Mississippi which is
infested by boil weevil. Moreover
I have kept in touch with all field
work being done by the field force IN
der Mr.. w. D. Hunter, who is in
charge for the United States govern
ment, with headquarters at Dallas,
Texas.
The pest is worst than reported;
the damage done grows greater as the
boil weevil comes eastward, and the
rate of travel has been enormously
increased, owing to more favorable
conditions in states east of the Mis-
sissippi Texas has escaped on ac-
count of greater acreage and more
on account of climate conditions
which subject the insect to harrass-
ment from years end to years end.
The hot dry summers, the sharp, hard
changes in winter, the absence Of win
ter cover, and the shifting of the cot
ton belt westward to where it is even
dryer and hotter, are the main factors
which saved Texas.
Louisiana, however, suffers loss
of three-fourths of her usual crop;
nor are conditions in the infested por-
tions of Alabama and Mississippi any
better.
All authorities concur in the posi-
tive statement based on facts of ex-
perience and observation, that birds
are the chief and in the end the only
check to the cotton boil weevil. The
is disputed nowhere, except by ignor-
ant persons, who should not be heed
ed when the state faces a crisis in its
history. 1t is certainly sufficient
that every authority in this country
stands by that relief in the efficacy Of
! birds in checking the boil weevil. /
saw evidence of it while in the boil
| weevil territory, and it should be re-
marked that farmers in the same ter
ritory have not the slightest doubt as
to the value of birds to them.
Moved by the great danger, the
state of Georgia has within the past
fortnight passed stringent and
sweeping law for the protection of its
birds, and the legislature Of that state
has created department with the
means of raising ample revenue,
whose business shall be to protect
birds and game.
This was done by passing the resi-
dent hunters license, which has been
urged on the general assembly of
South Carolina for FIVE years past,
but without securing action en- same.
No politics whatever is in the meas
ure. 1t is aimed for the public safe
ty-a measure to provide against in
tolerable conditions and to provide
for the general defense against an in
sect invasion.
1t. is necessary that / call your at
tention to the fact that for years
I have striven to get action to fore
stall the work of the pine bark beetle,
which is now destroying thousands of
dollars worth of pine timber and has
become a grave menace, inasmuch
the national government has estab-
lished a station at Spartanburg to
fight it. All the destruction Of pine
timber might have been prevented,
and would have been, if the general
assembly had taken action, giving the
department means to handle the out
break. The general assembly of
South Carolina is morally response
bic for every bit of the loss.
l am writing this with the hope
that you will arouse your readers to
action. The experience Of the pine
bark beetle will soon be repeated
with the cotton boil weevil, unless the
people of South Carolina force action
out of the general assembly.
The only way to save the birds is
to vigorously enforce the laws for
their protection The only practical
way to enforce these laws is by pass
ing law laying a license on hunters.
No other plan has succeeded any
where; this plan has succeeded every
where; and now, with the action Of
Georgia, there are but three states in
the union without law licensing hun
ters.
There are sixty-fve species Of birds
that eat the boil weevil. Most of
them are not game birds, but are the
small birds which are peculiarly in
need of protection.
The boil weevil will enter South
Carolina within three years time
This gives bare breathing spell; but
if protection is given to the birds at
once -ironclad protection-in every
community in south Carolina, there
will be gratifying increase within
three years.
1t must be remembered that
birds not only at the time Of its in
PRODUCTION, but for every year the in
sect remains within the borders of
the state
In the last place; be kind enough
tc reflect on the fact that nobody
knows anything about even ordinary
our lives to it; and it is fair to con-
insects, except those of us who devote
clude that the average farmer will
know less about imported insect like
the boil weevil, which he could not
tell by sight from scores of others.
I 1oo 1rs1- ~