The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1916-12-27

spring and summer. especially in the
western part OF the State. which en-
ables 1t to maintain it's production of
cotton. Such conditions do not apply
In South Carolina ana Louisiana.
In a map prepared by the weather
bureau . liHe tHdieating minimuin alb
solute temperatures of zero runs
across South Carolina from, Marlboro
to Aiken county. which il practically
through the. center Of, the State. This
same line passes across the State of
Louisiana about two-thirds the dis
lance from the southern boundary. 1t
Is thus evident that. throughout ths
most important. cotton zone Of South
Carolina the winter conditions are
similar to those in. that portion of
Louisiana where the production of
cotton has been very greatly reduced.
A. typical : parish In this section of
Louisiana showed. . falling Off Of from
2l.ooo bales to 5000 bales on ac-
count OF the coming Of the wseyiL
This reduction was due In part to the
destructive effects OF the insect itself,
and partly to the reduction Of acreage
On the score Of winter
temperature there II. no other cons
oipsion but that South Carolina will
suffer practically a. greatly as did
Northern Louisiana. a.. lRi 81 ! as
The imnortRrt rainfail,so far as the
boil weevil is concerned : la: from
about dune, L. to July az ;tbis being
the period Of fruitins. Weather .bu-
'reaq figures chow an average precipi-
tstion for this i period. in South Carr
oliaa of 1s.si inches and louisiana
iS.a inches. The total annual aprecip,
'itaulon in Louisiana -. about s63.4
inches. ;aas against 4ssS. inches. Tor
South Carolina, . but the excess in
louisiana occurs largely, IA. winter.
when 1t Ia Of no especial importance
In the mattsrsof e wesvi-rohtroa l., The
zone throughsut. the STATE Of South
Carolina In whichths summer precipis
tatipn Is 16 ttchss or moro cp1nprises
practically u per. cent so& ths !, I'M
portant cotton producing eouAtSesin
the state. This same .apne of rain
fall, extends over the lower, third ,of
Louisiana. passing thraugh the neigh-
borhood Of Baton Rogue and Includes
parishes In which there has been q
reductiony OF at least as per cent of
tho cotton crop on account OF the
weevil. Here again we find condi-
tiohs In South Carolina and Louisiana
similar. y&. ss3,S.x MAN.
There are several factors other than
ininimuna yintsx tsmb~atpres;Ap
Enacstsnanmfs stifnn71esS tsanstliL shieh
a;haas1 kwasHttss6asas
Sb6tAkStS a. pahbss
Of &ays between the last killing frost
In taass spring toythe first' Killing frost
Che ( fan. In this respect South
Carolina IL similar to the northern
counties OF Louisiana ana the south.
ern counties Of Arkansas. where thu
damage has been, material. The OBJ
yious conclusion from the above facts
is that in South CAROLINA there will be
a condition very similar to that IN
louisiana and In Mississippi, with an
added difficulty. viz: that the potion
crop in South Carolina cannot he
made without the use Of a consider
able amount of commercial fertilizers
while in Louisiana little or 40 fer
tlliser need to be used.
The above. explanation is made in
order that the people o: South Car O.
lima may not feel that there are any
special conditions OF soil or ol!mats
that can DO expected to make the bon
wsevh problem in this State less Sc
rious than 1t has been In other States.
As 2 matter Of fact. when the fertili-
ger situation Is considered Georgia and
South Carolina are liable to suffer
sreater loss than any other States thus
far invaded. In South Carolina an al
ditional danger lies in the attraction
which the cotton mills hold out to
the family Of the small farmer.
Through heat and sunshine, ants.
insect parasites. birds and the crush
ing effects Of the injured square on
the eggs and larvae. nature keeps up
its warfare against the boil weevil.
The only artificial means " con-
trolling the boil weevil are found in
cultural methods. The weevils can
not be exterminated. The only hope
lies in reducing their number to the
point. where injury to the cotton crop
viii be q minimum.
Technical Investigations are still
under way, but no promise can he