The Jones County news., 1913-07-17
THE COTTON PESTS.
Our Jones County Farmers
Had as Well Abandon the
Staple.

and during his travels stopped and
examined the crops on the road side
He says he never saw finer pros
pect for corn, and with the timely
rain last Friday a record-breaking
yield viii be made. A large acreage
has been planted in corn, and the
rop is as fine as the land can grow
II now looks as If our farmers need
not next year import a bushe Of
Western corn, but many will have
grain 70 sell. Very early corn has
has been injuted by the drought, bu-
the bulk OF the crop was only be-
ginning to suffer when the rains
came
But Mr.. Tisdale brings a gloomy
report Of cotton, and says very few
bales will be made in Jones county
this year, as insect pests have literal
ly eaten up the squares He saw
fields with a large weed, but on ok
animation could find but two or three
bolls on stalk, while there are
myriads OF boil weevils and other pests
that will get this small remnant He
never saw so gloomy or outlook for
cotton, and many farmers will not
get their seed back Tine prospect for
a cotton crop is darkly, deeply
beautifully blue.
Mr. Tlsdale says there are now
three insect pests depredating on
cotton, and they are literally cleaning
up the crop. First came the boil
weeyil, that has appeared in countless
numbers. Farmers have worked hard
picking OF the pests, but they had as
well abandon the work, for they make
no perceptible impression on the num-
ber The stalks are literally alive
with weevils, and they are taking
every square as soon as IL appears
But there has appeared another in
sect pest that is as bad and numerous
as the boil weevil. Farmers have
named it the "Sharpshooter," as 1t
has not been classified. This new
pests is brown bug, about quarter
of an inch long, and they destroy the
squares left by the boil weevil. Mr..
Tisdale says the "Sharpshooter" is
doing about as much damage In many
parts us the weevil, and If anything,
is worse depredator. They in
crease very rapidly and threaten to
destroy cotton even did we get rid Of
the boil weevil and which seems a
hopeless task,
And there is still another insect
pest that has been with us for many
years, but this season seems to have
fatty Increased in number. 1t is a
bug known as the Mexican bug, and
it bores into and thus destroys fully
grown cotton bolls. 1t takes the few
bolls left by the weeyil and sharp
shooter.n And then there is pea
weevi, which is destroying our COW
pea crop, and when there are no peas
for it to feed upon it takes to cotton.
With these four insect pests de-
predating on the staple, Mr. Tis
dale says our Jones county farmers
had as we'll abandon all hope of
growing cotton and turn their atten-
tion to other crops. Experience has
shown that picking OF weevils is an
endless task, and if the same time
and labor were devoted to other
crops much more money could be
made.
This report is authentic, for MIR.
Tisdale is one OF our most reliable
and conservative citizens. He is
exactly right to advise our farmers
to give up trying to grow cotton.
But there are many other crops that
our farmers can produce far more
profitable, and they should turn their
attention to same. First and most
important is the raising of beef cattle
for market, for there is more clear
money in three-year-old steer than
planting five acres of cotton for
boil weevils. While many of our
farmers are opposed to the dipping OF
cattle, we are satisfied that when the
Texas fever is eradicated, blooded
bulls will be introduced and new
source of wealth opened to not only
our farmers, but to every one who
win embark in the cattle-raising
business BY using fine bulls we can
improve our scrub stock. just as
soon as we get our county clear of the
tick, parties are ready to bring in
carloads of fine bulls for public
service. The Supervisors are doing
a rlise aud natrintic work In insisting