The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1913-08-02
TALLuLAn. La, August >, 1913.
As TO "A BOIL WEEVIL ZONE"
[Vicksburg HERALD

ture has assured Senator Smith
of South Carolina. that his pro-
pOsal to establish q fifty mile
anti-boll weevil zone, where cot
ton shall not he grown was
PRACTICABLE: and that "the cost
would be small when compared
with the amount saved from the
ravages of the boil weevil."
Those who enjoy personal ac-
quaintance with the Mexican in
vader will withhold Judgment Oh
the question of the cost and feas-
Utility of the zone idea, until
they are shown the bill of par
ticulars. And after being shown
on paper, they will have some
misgivings until the actual test
has been made,
The zone scheme was discussed
some ten years ago, and a con-
ventiOn held for its considerable
at Shreveport. 1t was proposed
10 abandon cotton growing Oh u
stretch of some fifty miles in
western Louisiana and eastern
Texas that seemed to offer an
an especially favorable field for
boil weevil barricade. Reso-
lutions were adopted in it's favor,
recommendations to put the zone
ineffect urged. But the move
inent proceeded no further. Gull
tural methods were adopted as
s the boil weevil weapon, combin-
ed With greater diversiication
of crops, and destroying the win
tered over weevils and the
squares they infect. This is
troublesome and costly but that
it is the only safeguard is a lesson
learned in the school of expert
ence in this and the trans Miss
issippi cotton country. And it
had as well be taken to heart IN
the states to the eastward, as the
only way to head off the boil
weevil. With q less rainfall they
have better fighting chances.
What has been done here and
what may be done elsewhere,
when the weevil is most thor
opghly and intelligently warred
ON, may be read liz the following
which has been handed to The
Herald for publication:
Tallulah, La, July II, 1913.
Dear Sir:-I went over to Mr..
Oaihoun's plantation, 81 miles
South of Rayville, near Gilbert
Station, La, last Friday to study
the boil weevil conditions.
spent "A hours with Mr.. Calhoun
looking over the country for
about 10 miles square and talk.
ing TO bankers, merchants and
planters, and all classes of peo.
pie. discovered the boil weeyil
had almost been exterminated by
the following unit Of action by
all classes of people, white and
black, in the following manner
First, to catch all live weevils
as soon as cotton comes up and
continue this work every day
until about July LIST. at which
time all weevils left will die from
natural causes, and careful pick
ing of infested squares twice a
week from the time cotton com.
mences squarinS until the 1Otl
of August-never to allow q
square to be covered up by pillow
This method has been pursued
by Mr.. Calhoun and all the peo.
pie around Gilbert, and they are
making and have been making
for the past five years 400 to 500
pounds of lint cotton per acre,
with the very worst infestation
Of boil weevil in existence.
In my opinion, if the cotton
planters in our parish will unite
with all the community and
fight the boil weevil as they are
doing at Gilbert, La, we will
make as much cotton on less
acreage q We made before arri-
val of the pest. The acreage