Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-12-12
President Andrew NJ, SOule, of
the State College of Agri-
culture, Tells What Is Be
ing Done Against Pest
BY ANDREW M. SoULE.
Estate College of Agricultural


The initial effort of the Georgia State
College of Agriculture after its reor-
ganizat ton in 1907 under the terms and
provisions of the Conner bill was dl~
| rected towards extension teaching. me
! trustees recognized the funGamental ma
,ure of work of tins character anu
hence gave their earnest support 10 the
| uperatlon of an educational tram in the
spring of 1908, and winch represented
about the first denn1te and statewide
e. fort made in the south TO disseminate
| information of an essential character
20 farmers throughout the length ana
/ breadth OF an enIIre commonwealth.
| In 1909 the Georgia Legislature made
| The first dennite appropriation for eX-
| tension work in the south, and upon this
| lounuation has been built the comprehen-
| sve and tar-reachIng system OF extern
SION teaching now in effect in Geor-
gia. Previous to this time the federal
congress had made an appropriation to
The department of agriculture with
which to establish what was later
known as the dice of farmers co-opera-
| tive demonstration work tor the purpose
| of lighting the boil weevil in states
| which the pest had infested at that time
| This office undertook some initial work
! in Georgia in 1907 through the appoint
ment of what were then known as farm
demonstration agents. The wisdom OF
co-ordinating the work of the college
and that of the United States depart
ment Of agriculture was early seen by
the respective leaders concerned, and
plans were made for the appointment
| in 1909 of a joint agent to promote the
| corn clubs originally established in
eorgia through the efforts of Chancellor
| Barrow and Prof. Stewart, of the Uni
| versity of eorgia. The work was further
| consolidated in 1911 and was entirely re-
| organized in accordance with the provi-
sions of the Smith-Lever act, passed
May s, 1914, and accepted by the legis
lature of the state of Georgia on August
II of the same year Since that time all
| the work has been conducted through
| the agency of the extension division OF
the eorgia State College of Agriculture
| It will thus be seen that both state and
! federal agencies have been working to
| aid the farmers of Georgia in so chang
ing and developing their practice that
they would be able to meet the boil
weevil invasion when it came with a
high degree of success. A brief resume
of what has been undertaken and ac-
comDlished may therefore not be inap-
| propriate at this time
| Previous to the arrival of the weevil
| in Georgia the county agent devoted his
effort toward educating the farmer to
follow better methods of practice, as il
was long since recognized that this was
the only effective means by which boil
| weevil damage could be successfully
minimized. To this end a campaign was
inaugurated in every county where
agents were maintained to try and teach
the farmers how to:
l. Make the farm self-sustaining.
2. Grow other money crops than cot
ton.
3. Increase the yield Of cotton
! through the selection and planting of
early maturing varieties, the pursuit of
better methods of preparation and Guilt
walton of the soil, and the judicious use
of commercial fertilizers
The slogans, diversified farming"
better farming" and safe farming
emanated primarily from this effort.
They are terms now in geenral use and
their meaning is so we'll appreciated
that further application is unneces-
sary at this time. When the boil wee
vii entered the state of Georgia the
agents began to teach the farmers as
| best they could how to grow cotton in
| spite Of it's ravages. Several county
| agents and experts were secured from
territory where cotton growing had
been practiced under boil weevil condi-
! tons and they have worked assiduously
! In Georgia for several years past These
| agents have been located at strategic
! points in the state for the purpose of
advising farmers who have not had boil
weevn experience. Not only have farm
ers been instructed collectively through
a great variety of meetings and orgaui-
cations, but far more effectively through
! personal visits to their farms.
BEGAN IN 1910.
Preparations have been made for the
coming of the boil weevil since 1910.
| During that year number of meetings
/ were held i'm various parts of the state
| and a group of agents was sent under
! the supervision Of exports to study the
weevil in territory which it had already
infested. The first boil weevil meeting
/ held in Georgia was on November 20
! 1910. This meeting was organized pri-
marily through the ACTIVITIES of the At
lanta chamber of commerce and the
United States department of agricul-
| ture. In 1912, a group of county agents
visited the boil weevil territory of Lou
isiana, Mississippi and Texas. Similar
/ trips were made into Alabama and Mis-
sissippi in 1914, 1915 and 1916. In the
| latter years the agents were accompan-
led by groups of farmers living prima-
| rily in the southwestern part of the
| state. During the summer of 1916, $50
| south Georgia farmers made trip into
Alabama under the direction of the
county agents, headed by boil weevil
| specialist. Farmers Institutes have
been held under the direction of the
| Georgia State College of Agriculture IN
a great majority of the counties of the
state for several years past. At prac-
! tically every one of the meetings held
in the southern part of the state since
1910 an expert has delivered an address
on the boil weevil
The following well-known and recog-
nized authorities have also aided Geor-
gia farmers and county agents: L. NJ
Calhoun, of Louisiana; ]. w. Willis. of
! Mississippi G. B. Burley, of Louisiana,
now located at Albany; c. c. Lewis, now
located at cambridge; j. G. oliver, now
| located at Americus; J. w. Griffin, of
| Louisiana, now located in Calhoun
| county; w. NJ. Boggan, of Mississippi
now working in Colquitt and Harris
| counties; and J. A. Evans and II. L.
Savely, of the office of the states rela-
| tions service in Washington. 1t is prop
err to say in passing that the aid of
| these experts was secured for the farm
ers of Georgia through the cooperative
| ~ = "a ~ .