The Lee County journal. (Leesburg, Ga.) 1904-19??, 1915-02-18
TESTS THAT ARE MAKING SEED
TO RESIST THE BOIL WEEvIL
What The State Department Of Entomology Is Doing To
Improve The Cotton Yield In Georgia

ALAuuIdy G&.-- DpcStal.1 - W cdtuCI
conditions have been peculiarly for
tunate for southwest Georgia farmers
the past two seasons. in that they
have been such as to cause the Next
can boil weeviI in southeastern Ala
bama to recede instead Of advance.
While the weevil has advanced at
about his average rate in northern
Alabama, and right up to the Ten
nessee line, State Entomologist q.
Leo Worsham calls attention to the
fact that the cold weather Of the win
tiers Of 1884, as well as the long
dry spell Of the summer Of 1914,
and the fact that a heavy top
crop last year furnished plentiful
food, have had the effect Of retard-
ing his progress In southeastern Ala
bama, whereas, 4 weather conditions
had been right the weevil would long
since have bsen in Georgia cotton
fields.
Latest investigations show, says
Mr.. WdFsham. that the weeviI Is now
two niles from the Early county,
Georgia, line in Henry county, Ala
bama, and is also close to the Georgia
line in Jackson county, Alabama. It
is certain that the boil weevil will
soon reach Georgia, but the partirr
lar time at which it will come will
depend, as heretofore, upon weather
and food conditions.
This weather retarding process
has teen fortunate not only for south
west Georgia, but for the entire
state,s Entomologist Worsham said,
because it has materially delayed
the spreading Of the weevil over the
entire state. This has given Georgia
farmers the very opportunity they
needed to prepare to meet the condi-
lions with which they will have to
contend when the weevil gets into
their fields.
Good Preparation Made
This preparation has already been
largely made in the counties Of south.
western Georgia, where cotton breed
ers' clubs have been organized by the
department among the farmers for
the purpose of developing varieties
that will meet Georgia conditions.
TO do this it has been necessary to
develop early maturing varieties that
are wilt-resistant, since early matur-
ing cottons heretofore have always
been more or less susceptible to
black root or wilt disease.
"The departments variety tests
have, in large measure, succeeded
in overcoming this difficulty and
through its experiments there are
now available the seed of some va
rieties which are both early maturing
to meet boil WeeSil conditions and
show adequssa assistance to the wilt
disease. Tue department recon-
mends diversincation and the plant
ing of more food crops as a first es-
sential element in meeting boil Wee
vii conditions The next, and it is
equally important, is the planting Of
demonstrated early maturing varieties
that are wilt-resistant Proper culti-
walton inducing rapid growth is i'm
portant,
To Get Better Yield.
"The important thing for the Geor-
gia farmer is to grow better cotton.
1t is up to the farmer to improve the
staple and to make the plant yield
more and more 50 that he will have
more land than ever before to devote
to food products. 1t is possible to
cut the Georgia cotton acreage in
half, and yet get the same yield.
"'This department has succeeded in
inducing many growers to pay more
attention to seed selection for resist
ance to disease such as wilt and an
thracnose, as well as selection for inn
pFONSluo0l Vt Tue plant 6ShSA eiiy
The most important point, as already
indicated, is TO get an early maturing
variety to meet boil weevil conditions
that will at the same time resist dis
ease. and the next point in view is
to increase the percentage Of lint to
the stalk and the yield per acre.
Though following the plans indicated
by the department some of these
Georgia growers have been able al
ready to produce anywhere from one
to three bales per acre on lands upon
which they formerly produced half
bale or less; and in some instances
through the cultivation Of the upland
long staple variety, they have sold
their product at to cents per
pound more than the ordinary upland
cotton brings
"The question of the best variety
depends entirely upon the section Of
the state in which the seed is to be
planted. The only way to determine
which is the best variety is to test
out the best known varieties in diff
ferent sections, and this is what the
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