The Donaldsonville chief., 1914-03-07
WEEv|L CAN Be DEFEATED,


Success by Following Govern
ment Methods-Tenants Livin!
Well and Making Money.
Good drainage, good seed of al
early maturing variety, good prepa
ration of the soil and intensive
cultivation will result in a profitable
cotton crop in the Louisiana delta
area, despite the boil weeyil, in thu
opinion of E. L. Maxwell, of the
| MaxweIl-Y Yerger company, of Mound
| La, one of the biggest cotto1
| planters in the state.
Since the advent Of the boil
| weevil in Louisiana, Mr.. Maxwell
has followed farm demonstration
methods, as advocated by the United
States department of agriculture
and his yield under these condi
tions has been SO satisfactory that
he has written the department
through Mason SnoWden, state agent
as follows:
"As l have been planting on an
extensive area in the Louisiana
delta since the advent of the boil
weevll, l beg to submit for your
consideration my experience and
results on the Killarney plantation:
1910, On 1900 acres in cotton, 661
tied bales, average 521 pounds;
1911, on 1900 acres in cotton, 969
tied bales, average 523 pounds;
1912, on 1910 acres in cotton, 1876
tied bales, average $40 pounds
1918, On 1880 acres in cotton, III
tied bales, average SIT pounds.
The variance in yield from year
to year is mostly due to the vari-
auions in the seasons during the
making periods of the different
crops, and not to the difference in
the Weevil infestation. In 1912 the
loss in yield was due to overflow; !;
in 1913, the cold, rainy weather in
April and May prevented the seed
coming to stand and necessitated
replanting, which made the crop a
very late one. On buckshot soils
on large part of this property, it
was about the middle Of July before
the cotton was large enough to
put on fruit and it did not have
time to mature before the migra-
tory period.
In August and September, the
rains were heavy and continuous
and rotted a large per cent of the
crop, therefore, the shortage in
yields for 1913 was mostly due to
weather conditions.
Since the advent of the weeyil,
! have adopted the demonstration
methods with as great a degree Of
thoroughness as / could, as follows:
=,.( Good drainage. good seed Of an
early maturing variety, good prepa-
ration and intensive cultivation to
push the crop to maturity as quick
ly as possible and to hold the Wee
vii in check by burning and clean
ing all ditch banks, ETC., in the fall
and early spring, and by picking
up all weevil and punctured squares
and destroying them from the very
first and on until the yield is safe.
| am sure, after testing this method
for five years, that the failure of
farmers to raise cotton profitably
under weevil conditions is because
they do not do this work thorough
ly. AS to the extra cost incurred
in picking and destroying the Vice.
vii and punctured squares, my an
swer is that all farmers and labor
ers who have adopted this method
are making money and all who ne
glec+ to do this are losing money.
I'm order to show you what the
colored tenants are doing, l give
you below the amount of cash bal
ance I have had to pay to some
of them during the past year over
and above their account and rents:
"One woman with two boys work
er 80 acres, s63S.23; one man and
wife worked 20 acres, $397.63; one
man, wife and boy worked 25 acres,
s512.02; one man paid rent and ac-
count 1862, worked 25 acres, $3.50;
one man and wife worked - acres,
$26S; two women and girl worked
20 acres, s172.Ss; one man 20 acres,
$3OO67. p.
II give these figures to show
that these people are not only living
well, but are making money. If we
can make all of our tenants, as well
as all farmers and planters, adopt
these methods, there is no doubt in
my mind that this country will pros
per-"