Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1915-01-08

$1,000 bales. The aggregate produc-
ton of these counties during the four
years. 1909-1912 inclusive. was only
21s,6 bales, with value Of approx
mately 100000. or an average OF
about s., $50 900 per crop. as compared
with a value Of nearly $11.000.000 for
the crop Of 1907"
In addition to this tremendous loss
It is pointed out that the invasion OF
the pest has had q far-reaching IN
fiuence on the social and economic iife
of these communities. Farmers have
| IN some instances abandoned the at.
tempt to produce cotton; others have
reduced their acreage materially, thus
cutting of much farm labor from en-
ployment, and resulting In their emf
grafton to other places. 1t IL pointed
out that for these reasons. even
should the boil weevil suddenly disap-
pear. It would be impossible to make
a normal crop Of cotton for number
Of years. :.
Louisiana grew its largest crop OF
cotton in 1901, 1885 bales. From
that year the production steadily de-
creased until in 1910 1t was only 24b.-
64s bales. This decrease was due pri-
marily to the invasion of the boil wee
vii. Much land formerly devoted to
cotton was planted in cane, rice and
other crops. Ten Louisiana parishes
produced more cotton in the year pre-
ceding the boil weevil invasion than
in the four seasons following 1t. The
, loss to these ten parishes In four
years was approximately $50.O0O.OOO.
In the same way the weevil has now
encroached upon more than hall OF
Alabama, with corresponding losses.
but the Alabama growers were better
prepared for It on account Of the ex-
perience that had been gained from
its ravages In the other states to the
! west. Florida, too, has been attacked
2 in the northwestern portion OF the
state and much damage has been done
: there; but the area IL small as com
|. pared with other sections devastated.
4 and Florida is better prepared to de-
4 vote its attention to other crops.
: The boil weevil, as Entomologist
+ Worsham points out. b now right on
q the Georgia line at the point where
A Georgia, Florida and Alabama join
q It will undoubtedly come into 0eor
|. gia in 1915 and begin its conquest Of
O this state. But Georgia IL better pre-
n pared for its coming than any OF the
other states have been on account o.
n the extensive work which the stat
4 department Of entomology has been
q doing. Cotton breeders clubs have
n been organized In the counties
!: throughout the southwestern section
I. of the state, and the farmers hav'
10 been taught to plant ~ early - poo
a. sible and to grow early maturing W
b rieties, together with strains that ar'
"A resistant to other diseases. Furthe
W facts as to what Georgia has done ant
}: is doing, under the direction Of I'm
9. tomologist WORKMAN. will be given b
4. another article Of this series.
. Dr.. w. d. Hunter Of the Unite
ID States bureau Of entomology. in charg
of southern field crop insect invest
n. cations, who perhaps knows NOR
.. about the history and operations q
r. and damage wrought BY the boil we'
At vii than any other one man, said 1
al a recent interview:
40 Georgia II better prepared for u
he coming Of the boil weevil, through III
m work Of its state board Of entomolog!
m than any other state which has ~
00 become infested. When II does reac
On that state, ~ It must do shortly. Ii
A.. farmers win b In better positio
an through the knowledge which the
I'll. must nave acquired 10 meet ana COZ
OF. with it's attacks"
IN It has also been pointed out tn
al the adoption by the farmers of q
ar. infected states Of the expedien'
n. which have been brought forward
az Georgia, win enable the farmers I
nd those states to cope much more 81
ue. cessfully with the pest from year
M year.
on With all its preparedness. neverth
less. Georgia will suffer material
I. from the invasion. There 10 every q
nj. surance, however, with what has be-
m done, that the loss Of this state vi
be far less proportionately than tn
nj suffered In other states where thu
M were unprepared for II and not AVA
ad Of the extent and seriousness Of Il
NJ injury inflicted.
es.
In Keep ThIngs In Order.
me Put the home and farm In order ~