The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1912-03-08
President FiindIey's Letter.

| Washington, Feb. 2S.-Presiden
Findley, OF the Southern Railway Com
pany, speaking to-day of the firsdyear'
work Of the Cotton Culture Department
maintained by the Southern Railway
Mobile & Ohio Railroad, the Alabama
Great Southern Railroad, and the
Georgia Southern 4 Florida Railway,
said:
The primary purpose of the organi-
cation of the Cotton Culture Depart
ment by the railway companies, which
contribute to its support. was to cooper
ate 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 cul-
tural methods recommended by the late
DIR s A Knapp, Of the United States
Agricultural Department, for growing
cotton under boil weevil conditions. DIR.
Knapp also advised that it would be adj
vantageous to adopt those methods in
dependently of the presence Of the
weevil. The results Of the first years
work OF our Cotton Culture Department
have demonstrated the soundness of his
advice in all respects
Tn circular, under date of Febru-
airy II, 1912, prepared by DR.. w. D.
Hunter, the boil weevil expert of the
Bureau OF Entomology, and issued by
DIR. L. o. Howard, Chief OF that Bureau,
with the approval Of the Secretary of
Agriculture, it is pointed out that the
weevils were less numerous in 1911,
owing to adverse weather conditions,
and that the insect was exterminated in
an area covering about $4,000 square
miles in the northwestern portion of
Texas and the western portion of Okla |
homa, where conditions were particu-
arly unfayorable. DR.. Hunter shows
hat, Notwithstanding these conditions,
he insect continued to spread to the
lorthward and eastward in Arkansas,
and Alabama. He says
hat the reduction in numbers in 1911
vas due to a combination of climatic
Influences which can only be- expected
1
0 recur at intrequent intervals, and
hat, with the return OF favorable sea-
ons, the weevil will again multiply. He
rges, therefore, that it is necessary for
lanters to continue their fight against
he weevil according to the methods ,
nat have been recommended by the
agricultural Department. These are ,
he methods advised by the Southern I
.ailway Cotton Culture Department
Tt should be borne in mind that the I
lltural methods recommended by the
tie DR.. Knapp and advised by our Cot G
IN Culture Department involve inten- b
We farming. This is important not 0
NY as to cotton. but also as to other n
ops, and we are urging farmers to u
.oduce all OF the grains, fruits, vegeta- c.
es, meats, dairy products, and poul- re
y used on the farm SO that they may ii
IT have to sell cotton regardless Of
arkpf conditions in order to buv these c.
ings, but may be able to market their d
op when there is an economic demand *
+ it. II will thus be seen that the q
ents OF the Cotton Culture Depart q
emit are giving advice as to farm ope- ~
lions generally. Their success in o
is is shown by the records made in as
fields Of corn grow in accordance ca
th their advice. The average yield y
tanned under improved cultural meth IN
S was All bushels per acre, as COM
red with an estimated average Of IA ~
shells per acre on similar lands in the "
ne general localities. The best corn wv
Id reported by our Cotton Culture ~
partment was 50 bushels per acre az
field Of 65 acres. q
II desire again to call attention to y
fact that the services Of the field en-
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