Oxford eagle., 1914-10-29
South mississippi Has
Suffered From Weevil
The 1ime Has Come When the
Planters in this Section Will
Have to Quit Cotton.

feel sure that the citizens
OF Lafayette county would be
glad to know, first hand, just
what the boil weevil has done for
South Mise. and other places in
this state. In the past few days
| went into a number Of counties
in South Miss. and among them
Wilkinson and Amite counties.
The boil weevil has done his
worst there. He has simply put
the farmer out Of business. In
Arnite county | was told that the
last year they made cotton to
amount to anything they made
e. 600 bales; the next year the
weevil came and they made only
i5o0 bales. What do you think
OF that? Only about one Thrift
eth OF the amount. What is the
result? They told me that most
OF the young men had left the
country seeking q livelihood; the
Older people remained at home
Conditions are deplorsble had
it not been for the lumber indus
try here and there they all would
have gone away Of necessity.
! never appreciated their real
condition until | saw it. Great
fields have gone to waste, houses
deserted; every thing dilapidated
and going to decay. 1t is pitt
able to behold. The people were
uhprepared, they had no extra
money with which to start any
new business; no use to talk
stock raising, dairying or any
thing else they had nothing
With which 10 start any new en-.
terprises. However. the citizens
told me they were going to make
the best of it they could; they
~ere trying TO learn to live at
home and to learn 10 do some-
thing else. But il has been some
time since this pest made its APP
pearance and things look gloomy
for business for the farmer there
IL Is a great place TO invest capi-
tai, lands are cheap and now is
time for moneyei man to in
vest, but no one can hope to raise
cotton again until this pest is de-
stroyed.
| inquired of the people as TO
what they thought about our
chances TO raise cotton. told
them that in most places in our
county we had found the weevil;
in every instance they told me
that in all likelihood we had rails
ed our last crop of cotton; that
We had better prepare now; that
many of them went along refus-
ing to make any changes until
they were entirely out OF bust
ness. They said the hot dry sea-
son this year was the only reason
why we made any cotton this
year.
My friends, this is n serious
matter; just as serious as can be;
are We in a position to meet this
emergency? My opinion is based
upon personal observations in
these infested districts, that La
fayette county has made its last
cotton crop. | send this word of
warning now that you may get
ready, that you may not go in
debt next year, nor this year for
that matter. that you plan your
business entirely along the lines
as il you did not expect to make
a single bale of cotton next year.
We had better raise peas, pota-
toes, vegetables, corn, hogs and
cattle, as best we can and cut out
the cotton crop next year entire-
ly. We need not wait for legis-
lation; the boil weevil has al.
ready .legislated" for us, in my
opinion. There is no use for ouI
citizens to walk right into ruin
with their eyes open. We are or
the brink and should prepare
now; we should study marketing
we must hunt markets; we mus
find new methods of business
We must quit cotton.
LEE l.. RUSSELL