Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-09-21
Bankers and Merchants Can Save
Georgia From Big Boil Weevil Loss
Credit Should BE Refused Except Limited Amount OF Cotton and
Then Only When Right Methods of Fighting Pest Are Employed
BY CHARLES A. WHITTLE.


10 tu- farmer The banker and mer-
chant ought TO 90 slow in crediting
cotton growers un;il experiments In
limited way demonstrate what can
be reasonably expected Of profit for
each community
The banker and merchant Of Geor-
gia are not going TO find parallel con
ditions for their guidance in Louis
lana. Texas and Mississippi. unless
they can find 1t in some particular
community where conditions are eN-
lctlv similar Texas is so entirely dlf-
rerent as TO be Of scarcely any value.
The Wepvil will never be an ailllcuon
in Texas that it Will be in Georgia.
In Louisiana the weevil is a. bad as
ne will ever be in Georgia, Ierhaps
little worse, on account OF tie ranher
cotton vegetation ana favorable win
ter quarters for the weevil in Spanish
moss. but the lands OF Louisiana are
so much more fertile, the expense OF
fertilizer nil, that the growers Of cot
ton can get from three-quarters OF a
bale 10 a bale an acre with the weeNii
present. provided the insect is prop
erlv opposed. Georgia lands. as an
average, are not so fertile and pro-
at i've. anu NBtN Win Allf ''Fh "
fertilizer and perhaps the higher cost
Of lighting the weevil. the cotton
saved may prove short Of paying e&-
penses
Loss in Some States.
Unquestionably there is cotton n
Mississippi and Alabama which would
not more than pay for its growing
were the weevil not present. The eN-
peEse OF fighting the weevil has been
added and the cotton is a loss. The
tenants who have grown II are max
ing a living working by wage Tor saw
mills or for farmers who have diveTsl-
fed crops
with all the enlightenment that can
be received from States that have
faced and contested the boil weevil
problem, IL remains for each COM
munity to meet its own phase Of the
problem How to fight the weeyil
can be learned from the outside, but
whether it viii pay 10 continue TO
grow cotton has to be determined bE
experience.
While the last word about how 80
ngut the boll weevil may not have yet
been said, the merchant and banker
would DO wen to be conservative and
recommend only such methods IS
have been thoroughly tried by farm
ers and found the most useful.
Every drummer, business man, et",
will be ready on every occasion TO al
vance "A theory Some may claim that
they know II has worked. While there
can he no harm done in experiment
ing, provided Well-kuown methods ave
continued II is dangerous to rely
upon any other than the most APP
proved way The Federal farm dem
oustration work nLs recommended thu
plan which farmers say is practical
and which plan they almost uuiNyr-
sally adopt. The farm demOnstrI-
ton agents Of Western Georgia are
prepared to tell the farmers what this
plan Is and how it must be applied.
Bankers Should Get Busy.
It necessarily follows that if the
bankers and farmers take the stand
that they will finance only a limited
amount OF cotton they will he asked
what crops they VI finance. Are the
bankers and merchants prepared 10
answer the question Local cundi-
lions will make different answers.
Marketing facilities will cut some fig
ure Unless the banker and merchant
have worked out the problem, now Is
the time to get reaGJ. They Should
make no mistakes. The Information
on which they should base their nd
vice should be from the best possible
source. The information may not be
available in their county. As rule,
there are only few men who have
studied agriculture in its broadest APP
plication who know soils, crop
adaptability, marketing possibilities,
that can give intelligent answers The
local bankers and merchants would
DO well to get in touch with heads "
agricultural colleges and set the ben