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.


Gcoygid StGtc CDIicgc ot agriculture
70 the farmer The banker and mer-
chant ought 10 go slow in creditns
cotton grower until experiments In a
limited WAY demonstrate what can
6e reasonably expected Of profit for
each community.
The banker and merchant OF Geor-
gia are not going TO Snd parallel con
ditiuns for their guidance In Louis
lana Texas and Mississippi. unless
they can ind BE- in some particular
community where conditions are - r.
act'y similar Texas is 50 cutir@iN DIFF
ferent q TO be Of scarcely any value.
The weryil will never be an affection
in Texas that il will be in Georgia.
In Louisiana the Weevil Is as bad a =
he will ever be in Georgia. IerhapS q
little worse on account OF tie rankeT
cotton vegetation and favorable win
ter quarters for the weeyil in Spanish
moss hut the lands Of louisiana are
so much more fertile, the expense OF
fertilizer nil. that the grow Of cot
ton can get from three quarters OF a
bale to a bale an acre with the UeeNll
present. provided the insect is prop
erlv opposed. Georgia lands, . an
average. are NOT 80 lei lllf anu "a ~
ductive, and what with the cost OF
fertilizer and perhaps the higher cost
Of fighting the weevil the cotton
saved may prove snort OF paying ex-
penses.
Loss in Some States.
Unquestiona bly, there is cotton n
Mississippi and Alabama which would
not more than pay for its growing
were the weeviI not present The ex-
perse Of fightinS 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 for saw
mills or for farmers who have diversg-
fled crops.
with all the enlightenment that can
be received from States that have
faced and contested the boil weevil
problem II remains for each com
munity TO meet It's own phase Of the
problem How to fight the wcevil
can be learned from the outside, but
whether ii will pay to continue 20
grow cotton has to be determined ny
experience.
While the last word about how "a
tight the boil wecviI may not have vet
been said, the merchant and banker
would do well to be conservative and
recommend only such methods Hs
have been thoroughly tried by farm
ers and found the most useful.
Every drummer business man, ct.
viii be ready on every occasion to ! -
vance q theory. Some may claim that
they know II has worked. While there
can be no harm done in experiment
ing, provided well-known methods are
continued, i is dangerous to rely
upon any other than the most ap-
proved way. The Federal farm dem
onstration work mas recommended tn"
plan which farmers say is practical
and which plan they almost univrr-
sally adopt The farm demonstr4
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.
II necessarily follows that, II the
| bankers and farmers take the stand
| that they will finance only limited
amount OF cotton they will he asked
what crops they VIII finance. Are the
| bankers and merchants prepared 70
answer the question Local Condi
tions will make different answers
Marketing facilities viii cut some fig
ure Unless the banker and merchant
have worked out the problem now Is
the time to get ready. They should
make no mistakes. The Information
| on which they should base their Id
vice should be from the best possible
source. The infornAion may not be
available in their county. AS a rule
there are only a few men who have
studied agriculture in its broadcast ap'
pllcation, who know soils, croI
adaptability, marketing possibilities
| that can give intelligent answers. Tn,
local bankers and merchants would
10 well to get in touch with heads "
| anricnltnrnl COLLEGES and get the ben