Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1912-03-08
COTTON CULTURE DEPARTMENT
OF MOBILE & OHIO.

Washington, Feb. 2Sth.-Presi
dent Finley, of the Southern Rail
way Company, speaking o-day 0
the first years work of the Cotton
Culture Department maintained
by the Southern Railway, the Mo
bile n Ohio Railroad, the Alabama
Great Southern & Florida Rail.
way, said:
1.-THE primary purpose of the orpani.
eaton OF the Cotton Culture Depart
ment by the railway companies which
contribute to its support was to coop
crate with farmers along the lines of
those companies in the territory along
the advance of the Mexican cotton boil
weevil for the adoption of those cultur-
al methods recommended by the late
DR.. 5. A. Knapp, of the United States
Agricultural Department. for growing
cotton under boil weevil conditions, DR..
Knapp also advised that it would be ad-
v,antageous to adopt those methods in
d~ependently of the presence of the wee
viii. The results of the first years
work of our Cotton Culture Depart
ment have demonstrated the s%oundness
of his advice in all respects.
I'm a circular, under date of Febr,.
ary IL, 1912, prepared by DR.. W. D,
Hunter, the boil weevil expert of the
Bureau of Entomology, and issued by
DR.. l.. .. Howard, Chief of that Bu-
reau, with the approval of the Secre-
tary OF Agriculture, it is pointed out
that the weevils were less numerous in
1911. owing to adverse weather condi-
tlons. and that the insect was extermi-
mated in an area covering about "a 600
square miles in the northwestern nor
ton OF Texas and the western portion
OF Oklahoma. where conditions were
particular %unfavorable. DR.. Hunter
shows thai, notwithstanding these con
dltlons, the insect continued to spread
to the northward and eastward in
Arkansas, Mississippi, and Alabama
lie saps that the reduction IN numbers
IN 1911 was due to a combination of
climatic Influences which can onlv no
expected to recur at infrequent inter
walls. and that. with the return of fav-
orable seasons, the weevil will again
multiply. He urges, therefore, that it
Is necessary for planters to continue
their tight against the weevil ACCORDING
to the methods that have been recon-
mended by the Agricultural Detart-
ment. These are the methods advised
by the Southern Railway Cotton Cul
turc Department.
TT should be borne in mind that the
cultural methods recommended bv the
late Dr. Knapp and advised by Il Cot
ton Culture Department involve inten-
'lye farming. This is important not
only as to cotton, but also as to other
crops, and we are urging farmersst o
produce all of the grains, fruits, meats
vegetables, dairy products. and p%oultry
uSed on the farm so that they may
not have to sell cotton regardless Of
market conditions III order to buv these
Things. but may be able to market their
crop when there is an economic demand
Tor It, 1t viii thus b. seen that tbo
agents of the Cotton Culture Denart-
ment are giving advice as to farm on
erations generally. Their success IN
TINS Is shown by the records made in "a
helds OF corn grown in accordance with
their advice. The Average Weld oh.
tanned under improved cultural methods
was 4712 bushels per acre, as compared
with an estimated average of ID hush.
els per acre on similar lands in the same
general localities. The best corn Weld
reported by our Cotton Culture Denart-
ment was 81 bushels per acre on a field
Of IS acres. "e''
i desire again to call attention to
the fact that the services of the field
agents of this Department are given to
all farmers along the lines of the mr..
tlclpating companies. Farmers resid-
ing along the lines of these companies
IN localities where a field agent has not
yet beer stationed may obtain literature
descriptive of the methods recommend
60 by addressing Mr.. T. o. Plunkett.
General Agent, Chattanooga, Tenn"
n..kl r