The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-07-26
FARMERS WILL TURN ATTENTION ID BURR
 AND RED CLOVER
Agricultural Department's Report States Corn and Cotton Hampered by
 DrOuth

Montgomery, July 25.--(Special0 That the cotton crop has been greatly effected by the long drouth and that the corn crop has been seriously dam aged by the same cause is the state ment given out by the state depart ment of agriculture and industries, in the latest report on agricultural eondi- tions throughout Alabama
 The report declares that the farmers are getting ready to plant crimson and burr clover in great quantities next fall, and that large crop of that prod uct is predicted.
 We are near the time when the farm CTS in the infested boil weevi1 area should redouble their efforts and quick en their vigilance against this pesti ferrous foe" says the report According to the departments report, from August l to 10 is the time predicted for the appearance of the second weevi1 crop
 A suggestion is made in the weekly report as to one of the methods by which weevls may be destroyed Brief ly. the method consists of driving about 25 1o-penny nails through a small piece of leather belting. close enough to give the effect of the bristles of a brush. and then by going over the cotton field and tamping the ground where there are punctured squares.
 Report of Department
 Following is the departments re- port:
 '.The continued drouth is evidenced in the shedding of the cotton which in some localities indicates 8 larger shortage in the crop than was anti <ein taH fallen in most sections, but not in suf- ficient quantities to check the drouth and give the impetus to growing crops that this stage of growth requires. The corn crop, as previously reported, IS seriously damaged and it will fall far short of the expectations entertained previous to this severe hot spell.
 "The farmers generally throughout the state are getting ready to plant crimson and burr clover in quantities next fall and large crop of this val uable product Is predicted as an item in the yield for next year. Continued interest in stock raising and the adop tion of governmental regulation in the dipping of cattle inoculation of hogs with a serum as a cholera preventa- tive and the observance of other en- joined precautions shows that our farmers are very much alive to new and profitable industry of the farm. If this interest continues Alabama will have other than her old crop staples to rely upon as source of farm wealth.
 We are near the time when the farm l CTS in the infested boil weevil area should redouble their efforts and quicken their | vigilance against this pestiferous foe l From August 1 to 10 is the time predicted | for the appearance of the second weevil l crop and it stands the farmers whose l fields have been invaded to continue their energetic measures heretofore waged against the weeVil. It is the policy of this department to keep our farmers posted upon lines of suggestion and advice as Tto all eXpedients that are known as an agency of warfare against this pest In addition to other remedies we have men toned, an interesting device discovered 1 by an enterprising Texan Is reported. It can be constructed in a few minutes by the veriest novice. All that is required is strip of pine board about two inches wide and four feet long, d small piece or old leather belting about three by five inches and about 25 or 90 ten penny fin ishing nails This is all of the material that is necessary The nails are then driven through the leather belting as close together as space will permit to give them the effect of the bristles of a brush. This done, the leather is nailed to the end of the pine strip with the nail points extending forward giving it the effect of II vice is said to be even simpler than it's construction. This consist of going over the cotton field with it and tampng the ground where there are punctured squares. The pronged effect produced by the nails will pick up these squares and they will then be placed in a sack which when full is taken off and burned This operation is to be repeated until the field is clean It is said the work can be carried on in rapid manner, and in proof of this. an instance is cited by a farmer who has tested the merit of this device on his Texas farm showing that in the course of two hours 1000 punc- tured squares were gathered herewith. Figuring that each square stands for 30 weevils. this means a destruction of 3O,- GOO weevis if all the squares prove fertile This information is given without our Endorsement. but as something that our farmers can adopt without much expense and with reported results that would cer- tainy justify the experiment. We should like to see experiments tried and reports made to this office. If the facts claimed by this new boil weevil catcher are true ii is quite an improvement upon any other plan devised for weevil extermina- ton"