The Marietta journal and courier. (Marietta, Ga.) 1909-1918, 1915-01-15


30,S09 bales. The aggregate produc-
ton of these counties during the four
years, 1909-1912 inclusive, was oDly
2l9,634 bales, with value Of approx
mately $14,G00,O00, or an average of
about $3,65O,000 per crop, as compared
with value of nearly 81, 100000 for
the crop of 1907"
In addition to this tremendous loss
it is pointed out that the invasion of
the pest has had a far-reaching in.
fiuence on the social and economic life
of these communities. Farmers have
in some instances abandoned the at
tempt to produce cotton; others have
reduced their acreage materially, thus
cutting off much farm labor from en-
ployment, and resulting in their emf
grafton to other places. 1t is pointed
out that for these reasons, even
should the boil weeviI suddenly disap-
pear, it would be impossible to make
normal crop of cotton for number
of years.
Louisiana grew it's largest crop of
cotton in 1901, 089, 526 bales. From
that year the production steadily de-
creased until in 1910 it was only 245,-
648 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 it. The
loss to these ten parishes in four
years was approximately S50,000,000.
In the same way the weevil has now
encroached upon more than half Of
Alabama, with corresponding losses,
but the Alabama growers were better
prepared for it on account Of the ez-
Derience that had been gained from
its ravages in the other states to the
west. Florida, too, has been attacked
in the northwestern portion of the
state and much damage has been done
there; but the area is small as com
pared with other sections devastated,
and Florida is better prepared to de-
vote its attention to other crops.
The boil weevil, as EutomoIogist
Worsham points out, is now right on
the Georgia line at the point where
Georgia, Florida and Alabama join,
It viii undoubtedly come into Geor-
gia in 1915 and begin it's conquest Of
this state. But Georgia is better pre-
pared for it's coming than any Of the
other states have been on account of
the extensive work which the state
department of entomology has been
doing Cotton breeders clubs have
been organized in the counties
throughout the southwestern section
of the state, and the farmers have
been taught to plant as early as pos
slble and to grow early maturing va
rieties, together with strains that are
resistant to other diseases. Further
facts as to what Georgia has done and
is doing, under the direction of En-
tomologist Worsham, will be given in
another article of this series
DR.. w. D. Hunter of the United
States bureau of entomology, in charge
of southern field crop insect inyesti-
cations, who perhaps knows more
about the history and operations or
and damage wrought by the boil wee
vii than any other one man, said IN
a recent interview:
Georgia is better prepared for the
coming of the boil weevil through the
work Of its state board of entomology
than any other state which has yet.
become infested. When it does reach
that state, as it must do shortly, the.
farmers will be in better position
through the knowledge which they
must have acquired, to meet and cope
with its attacks"
1t has also been pointed out tnaV
the adoption by the farmers Of the
injected states of the expedlenlS
which have been brought forward IN
Georgia, will enable the farmers OF
those states to cope much more sue
cessfully with the pest from year 10
year.
With all it's preparedness, nevertne'
less, Georgia will suffer materially
from the invasion. There is every as
surance, however, with what has oeen
done, that the loss of this state VIII
be far less proportionately than tha'
suffered in other states where they
We're unprepared for it and not aware
OF the extent and seriousness OF inc
injury inflicted.