The Wilson times. [volume] (Wilson, N.C.) 1896-19??, 1911-08-15
To Prevent Spread of Boil weevil.


dent Finley, of the Southern Railway
Company, realizing the possibility 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 South
ern Railway Company, Alabama Great
Southern Railroad Company, the Mo-
bile and Ohio Railroad Company, and
the Georgia Southern and Florida
Railway Company, in localities to
which there is even remote posi-
bility that the weevil may spread, as
to the methods that must be adopted
for maintaining cotton production un-
der boil weevil conditions. Farmers
west of the Mississippi River, where
the weevil has been present for sew
eral years, have learned how to grow
cotton successfully in spite Of its
presence. They have learned this
lesson generally at the cost of short
crops for two or three years. In the
fall of last year President Finley or
ganized a Cotton Culture Departm ent, !,
in charge of MIR. II. 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-
Mr o11 %F no
agents of this Department have had
practical experience in the growing of
cotton under boil weevil conditions.
All of the expenses of the Cotton Gull
ture Department are borne by the
participating railways and the SER
vices of it's agents are absolutely free
to all farmers along the lines of these
railways.
The work of this Department has
been so successful and the services of
it's agents have been SO highly appre-
ciated by the farmers that President
Finley has determined to extend the
work further eastward
Mr.. R. E. Grabel has been appointed
agent of the Cotton Department ct
Macon, Ca, to work along the line
Of the Southern Railway between
Macon and Brunswick, and along the
Georgia and Florida Railway in Geor-
gia and North Florida. Four addi-
tional agents are to be employed for
work along the lines of the Southern
Railway, the Alabama Great Southern
Railroad, and the Mobile and Ohio
Railroad, in central and eastern Ala
bama Unless circumstances should
make some other arrangement advisa
BILE these agents will have their head
quarters at Alfalfa, Admission, Tusca
loosa and Maplesvifle, Ala. Mr..
Grabel has had practical experience
in growing cotton in boil weevil ter
ritory and four other men with like
experience arc to be selected for the
Alabama agencies. The wcevil has
not sparted to any Of the localities
to which these agents have, been as
signed and there is no reason to ex-
pect its early appearance in them.
The purpose of establishing the work
| in these localities is to enable the
| farmers to be thoroughly prepared
for the weevil if it shall at any time
enter their fields.
Fortunately, the cultural methods
advised by the Cotton Culture Depart
ment are /identically those which the
late DR.. S. A. Knapp, of the United
States Agricultural Department, re-
commended for increasing the pro-
duction of cotton whether the Weevil
| to be present or not.
Farmers throughout the cotton belt
| will, therefore, find it profitable to
adopt these methods, even though the
weevi1 may never spread to their
farms:
AS 2. further step in aid of the work
of the Cotton Culture Department,
| President Finley has prepared a cir
cular letter Incorporating DR.. Knapp's
advice which is being distributed to
farmers in all cotton growing terri
tory along the lines of the railways
above mentioned Farmers along the
line of these companies may obtain
copies of this circular letter by ad-
dressing w W. Finley, President of
the Southern Railway Company,
Washington. D. C.
Admiral Togo Spent The Day Sight
Seeing.