Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1916-09-29
SUMTER is PREPARING.

The Savannah Morning News of yes
i terday contained an interesting con-
tribution to the editor from B. H,
Grower, of Reidsville, Ca, on the in
vestigations of two parties of boll
/ weevil investigators from that section
who visited the infested area as far
west as Andalusia, Ala.
The article had the following para
graph in conclusion which is very in
teresting in its reference to this i'm
mediate section:
we passed through a number of
towns in which business was reported
badly of on account of the boil weevil.
Many farmers sustained heavy losses.
Few have prepared for weevil. We
found no section that had made ready.
! The weeyil makes its converts. One or
two failures at cotton turns one to
hogs and pinders, and the production
of food and feedstuffs at home. Cotton
was very fine around Dawson and
Americas, and little boil weevil to cot
ton in Georgia was noticeable from
roads we travelled. Low priced cotton
in 1914 has resulted in greatly in
creased production of hay and meat in
that section A prominent banker of
Dawson informed us that the people of
his county would likely plant not ex-
ceeding twelve acres Of cotton to the
pillow next year The situation can be
readily controlled there, as the people
of Dawson own most of the lands of
their county, which is cultivated prin-
cipally by negro tenants"
The writer was misinformed as to
I'VE found that no section had made
ready especially in regard to Sumter.
We are pointing with pride to the elab-
crate preparations and actual work
which is going on, countenanced and
commended by the state board of ento-
mology, the state workers from the
college of agriculture and the federal
Under the supervision of Agent J. G.
Oliver over score of meetings have
been held in this county among the
white farmers and business men. sew
eral meetings have been held for the h
negro farmers. At these gatherings +
the latest advanced plans for fighting l
the boil weeyil were explained in de- 1
tail-and promises of cooperation f
we're obtained everywhere. The farm a
ers were told to pillow their stalks un- G
der before frost; they were told to /
plant an early variety of cotton; they $
we're urged to plant just so much cot
ton as they could personally supervise i
and know that instructions were being +
followed.
The business men of Americas have /,
rallied to the boil weevil fight through .
the Americas and Sumter County
Chamber of Commerce Three whole
sale grocery houses in Americas have
announced the beginning of the farm
Product Co., which will manufacture
syrup from sugar cane and sorghum,
and food stuffs from oats, corn and
velvet beans. The highest market
price has been promised the farmers
for these products, and the plant will
be in operation by November 1st.
Sumter is fighting the boil weevil
before the pest puts in its dangerous
work. He is here-but these plans
were begun before his arrival.
Competent authorities tell us that
Sumter is one of the few instances, if
not the only one, that has begun the
battle on the weevil before the menace
does its destruction.
So let every citizen of Americas and
Sumter county tell the world that
Sumter is meeting the issue and
hopes to avoid the devastation and
shocks which have visited Alabama,
Mississippi, Louisiana, etc.