Fort Mill times. [volume] (Fort Mill, S.C.) 1892-current, 1912-03-07
EXPLAINS COTTON CULTURE
Cooperate With Farmers In Growing
Cotton in Boil Weevil infected
Territory Along Road.

Washington.-Preside Finley, OF
the Southern Railway Company,
speaking OF the first years work OF
the Cotton Culture Department main
tanned by the Southern Railway, the
Mobile & Ohio Railroad, the Alabama
Great Southern Railroad, and the
Georgia Southern & Florida Railway,
said:
THE primary purpose OF the organ
ization OF the Cotton Culture Depart
ment by the railway companies which
contribute to its support was to CO.
operate with farmers along the lines
of those companies in the territory
along the advance of the Mexicanleot-
ton boil weevil for the adoption OF
those cultural methods recommended
by the late DR.. S. A. Knapp, OF the
United States Agricultural Depart
ment, for growing cotton under boil
weevil conditions. DR.. Knapp also ad-
yised that it would be advantageous
to adopt those methods independently
of the presence OF the weeyil. The
results Of the first years work OF our
Cotton Culture Department have dem
onstrated the soundness OF his advice
in all respects.
IN a circular, under date OF Febru-
airy II, 1912, prepared by DIR. w. ID.
Hunter. the boil weeyil expert OF the
Bureau of Entomology, and issued by
DR.. l.. o. Howard, Chief OF that Blu
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 con-
ditions, and that the insect was e1'
! terminated in an area covering about
! $4,000 square miles in the northwest
ern portion of Texas and the western
portion Of Oklahoma, where conditions
were particularly unfavorable. DR..
Hunter shows that, notwithstanding
these conditions, the insect continued
TO spread to the northward and east
ward in Arkansas, Mississippi and
Alabama. He says that the reduction
in numbers in 1911 was due to COM
bination of climatic influences which
can only be expected to recur at lnfre-
uuent intervals, and that, with the re-
turn of favorable seasons, the weevil
will again multiply. He urges, there
fore. that it is necessary for planters
to continue their fight against the
weevil according to the methods that
have been recommended by the Agri-
cultural Department. These are the
methods advised by the Southern Rail
way Cotton Culture Department
'It should be borne in mind that
the cultural methods recommended
by the late Dr. Knapp and advised by
our Cotton Culture Department in
volve intensive farming. This Is Inn
portant not only as to cotton, but also
as to other crops, and we are urging
farmers to produce all OF the grains,
fruits, vegetables, meats, dairy pro-
doucts, and poultry used on the farm
SO that they may not have to sell cot
ton regardless Of market conditions
in order to buy these things, but may
be able to market their crop when
there is an economic demand for 1t
II will thus be seen that the agents ol
the Cotton Culture Department are
giving advice as to farm operations
generally. Their success in this u
shown by the records made in 30 heldi
Of corn grown in accordance WIN
their advice. The average yield OBJ
tanned under improved cultural meis
DDS was AZ - bushels per acre, as
compared with an estimated average
OF II bushels per acre on similar
lands in the same general localities
The best corn yield reported by our
Cotton Culture Department was 81
bushels per acre on a field Of 65 acres.
Il desire again to call attention 10
the fact that the services of the neid
agents of this Department are given
free of charge to all farmers along
the lines of the participating compa'
nies. Farmers residing along the
lines OF these companies in localities
where a field agent has not yet been
stationed may obtain literature de-
scriptiye of the methods recommend
ed by addressing Mr. T. o. Plunkett,
General Agent, Chattanooga, Tenn.
aE n