The Prescott daily news. (Prescott, Ark.) 1907-1941, 1914-08-10
MAKING COMPLETE INVES-
TIGATiON OF BOIL WEEVIL
G. II. Afford, of Chicago. Assisted by
Special Agents of United States
Department of Agriculture
Began Last Week.

The most complete investigation of
the boil weevil problem that has ever
been made in the South, has been un-
dertaken by G.. H. Afford, of Mississ-
ippi, in charge of Southern demon
stration farms for the Agricultural
Extension Department of the Internat-
ional Harvester Company.
Mr.. Afford has just arrived in the
South from Chicago and his investiga-
ton will take him through Louisiana,
Arkansas, Mississippi, Texas, and Ala
bama. 1t will cover three latitudes,
taking into consideration conditions
of soil, rainfall and climate. This in
vestigation has aroused the interest of
the most prominent people of the
South. Dr.. Bradford Knapp, of the
United States Department of Agricul
ture, Special Agent in Charge of the
tion Work in the South, has offered
the cooperation of his department
in this work. Probably no man is bet
ter informed about boil weevil condi-
tions than Mr.. Knapp. He has spent
a good part of his life aiding the
Southern people in combating the
boil weevil and in other agricultural
extension work. Mr. Afford in the
work that ne has outlined will have
the aid and cooperation of Mr.. J. A.
Evans, of the United States Depart
ment of Agriculture. These two men
will begin the work on August 18th.
"It is our purpose, said Mr.. AL
ford, ito learn of the extent and the
results of the boil weevil damage un-
der different conditions throughout the
Cotton Belt. We will take into con-
sideration the latitude, winter tenn
peratures, dates of killing frosts, sum-
mer temperatures, rainfalls, altitude,
timber and labor conditions. Then,
we can face the problem as a collec-
tive whole. The sizes of the farms.
the number of tenants, and the owners
of the land will be leading factors in
the investigation.
"Did the farmers diversity before
the boil weevil came? Do they diver
sify now? Did the tenants leave when
the boil came? Are the people as
whole as prosperous now as they were
before the advent of the weevil?
Bank deposits and general financial
conditions before the boil weevil came
and since it has come; importation and
expectation of feed for live stock,
fruits and vegetables, hogs and cattle,
will be important phases of the work.
"Our sole aim is to make this inves-
tigation of the greatest practical value
to the farmers of the South-giving
them information they want in build
ing up their farms and making them
profitable in spite of the boil wevil.
This investigation is being made at
the request of some of our leading
farmers and business men who want
the facts. | am deeply grateful to
DR.. Knapp and the other members of
the Department of Agriculture at
Washington whose cooperation in
this work is invaluable. l also ap-
preciate the aid offered by CONNER
cial organizations, farmers and bus
mess men. We hope, with this CO.
operation, to present the boil weevil
problem as it actually exists.
"Prof. P. c. Holden, director of our
Agricultural Extension Department,
is taking a keen interest in this in
vestigation and when it is over he
will publish the results"