The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1915-10-12
o,n HOW TO RAISE COTTON IN
SPITE OF THE PEST. MEETING
WAS WE'LL ATTENDED,.

.hort 1875 of the leading farmers of
,bo county assembled at the court
Sorea TO hear discussions by experts
the hest methods of fighting the
mil weevil menace.
While the attendance at the meet
q ;rg was not as large as was expected
& - account of the interest which the
hoII weevil invasion of Terrell coun-
4 ~ has caused, those who did attend
more representative farmers and men
nbo may be depended upon to scatter
.bo information they received and to
sob+ the boil weevil with untiring
B zeal.
The first speaker was Mr.. E. Lee
& Worsham, the state entomologist,
who described the life and habits of
q the weevil. He said the pest had ap-
nAared in Brooks, Thomas, Grady,
i Decatur, EARLY, Miller, Baker, Mitch
oil. Colquitt, Worth, Dougherty, Cal
boun, Clay, Randolph, Terrell, Lee,
sumter. Webster, Stewart, Quitman
Marion, Chattahoochee, Muscogee,
Harris. Troup, Heard, Meriwether
/ Coweta, Campbell, Carroll and Har-
ris counties, and said that it was
mite probable that additional terri
3 tory would be covered before frost.
He said the advance from Southeast
Alabama to Brooks county, distance
of about 100 miles, was somewhat
Unexpected, but it is easily under
stood when the favorable condi-
tions in Southern Alabama for the
development of the weevil are con-
& sidered. These conditions, combined
u with the tropical storms which oc-
cured from August 23rd to the 31st,
assisted the weevil in scattering over
large territory.
Must Begin Fight at Once.
There is no cause for great alarm
if we begin our fight at once, said
4 Mr. Worsham. Ordinarily it re-
uires about three years for the Wee
8 vii TO become we'll established and do
q its maximum damage, but by coming
into Georgia by September LIST means
that the weeVil will be a serious prob
lem to Georgia's crop next year un-
i less the right kind of fight is made.
4 Georgia has a decided advantage over
8 aDv section of the country that has
VET become infested, because we have
the advantage of the experience of the
other man. If we profit by the ex-
perience of cotton growers in Texas,
louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and
other states infested by the WeeVll
there is no cause for the usual demon
alization of labor or deterioration OF
land values and failures among mer-
chants and business men. This prob
lem affects the welfare of every man,
woman and child in the infested area,
and now is the time of all times for
every one to lend a helping mana
against the common enemy. II we
begin the fight at once, with the CO.
operation of farmers and business
men. we can practically put the boil
weevil out of commission in Georgia
as far as next years crop is concern
ed
To Control the Weevil.
The boil weevil continues to thrive
and multiply on squares and young
bolls until the plants are killed by
frost, at which time it leaves the
cotton plant and seeks winter quar-
\ ters under trash leaves, along fence
rows, hedges in fields, etc. COTTON
q should be picked out as early as pos
i sble. If cotton picking can be com
\ pleted by October list, o. not later
than the 18th. it will open the way
4 for a complete and practical control
of the weevil. The cotton crop OF
\ Georgia is practically all open at this
4 time Let every one pick his cotton
at the earliest possible date
Destroy Stalks.
The boil weevil can practically be
controlled by the destruction OF all
green cotton at least four weeks be-
fore killing frostS have come. mere
are two methods of getting rid of
the stalks.
LIST. Perhaps the most satisfactory
method is to cut stalks with stalk
4 chopper, drag them into burrows ana
plOw them under as deeply as posi-
4 BILE, the deeper the better, but they
4 must be covered at least four inches
s This method will enable us to utilize
4 the vegetable matter for the soil.
End. Where it is not practicable
to cut stalks and plow them under
by October 18th it will be advisable
4 to cut the stalks below the surface
so as to prevent them from sprout-
ing from the roots; pull them into
rows and burn them. This can De
done to advantage by construction OF
an V-shaped harrow. This harrow
cuts two rows of stalks at a time ana
q pulls them into alternate rows. sew
eral rows should be pulled together
y so as not to scatter the squares ana
0olls. AS soon as the foliage is dry
run fire along the windrows with the
wind. 1t will not be necessary 10
burn all of the stalks, but there
should be enough heat to destroy all
adult and young stages CT the wee
4 VII in the squares and bolls. AFTER
this has been done the stalks should
De clipped and the field plowed as
quickly possible, and prepared LOT
winter cover crop.
Seed Selection Necessary.
There is nothing quite so import
ant as the selection of cotton SEED
LOT planting. You must have an ear
8 " maturing variety and seed snouid
De planted as early as YOU reasonably