Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1917-08-09
INK BOIL WORM AGITATION
ALONG THE MEXICAN BORDER

! WASHINGTON, D. c., Angus g.
If the only way to keep the pink boil
worm II Mexico out of the United
States IS for Texas cotton growers in
zone along the Rio Grande river to
stop growing cotton altogether, these
farmers are willing to sacrifice one of
their most profitable crops to save the
cotton-growing South.
! That was the declaration of seven
men representing farmers and business
interests of the lower Rio Grande re-
gion in Texas who came to Washington
to confer with representatives of the
United States department of agricul
ture over the peril to the American cot
ton industry now lurking in the cotton
fields of Mexico. But to give up cot
ton industry now lurking in the cotton
fields of Mexico. But to give up cotton
means a considerable sacrifice on their
part, the farmers said, and for this rea-
son they urged that the declaration of a
cotton-free zone, as contemplated by
the federal and Texas state govern
ments, be made only as last resort.
Cotton, the Texas representatives
said, was an important cash crop in
the lower part of the zone planned as a
barrier to the Mexican pest. 1t was
said that the area in cotton this year
in the two counties-Hidalgo and Cam
eron-the territory chiefly affected
was $4,000 acres. A representative
from the dry-farming section farther
north declared that cotton was one of
their most profitable crops and that it
would be hardship for them to give it
up. The representatives joined in a
recommendation suggesting the estab-
lishment, in cooperation with officials
of Mexico, of a cotton-free zone on the
Mexican side of the river instead of in
Texas. Since the little cotton would
be affected by such zone on the Mex
ISdu oluc IL was pCllcNCu thbI ILLS
plan could be carried out with much
less loss.
Representatives of the Texas state
department of agriculture and the state
agricultural college pledged support to
whatever measures were deemed neces- ]
sary. All the Texas delegates were
thoroughly aroused to the menacing
pest and declared they were ready to !
support drastic measures. That a cot
ton-free zone in Texas, however should |
not be declared until every other meas /
ure calculated to prevent the introduc-
ton of the pink boil worm had proved |
futile, was the sentiment of the Tex
ans.
Specialists of the department of agri-
culture told the delegates that all pos +,
sible effort would be made under the |
pending appropriation, and is now be-
ing made with an emergency fund to |
fight the pink boil worm in Mexico |
The establishment of cotton-free zone ,
in Texas, it was declared, would not
be put into effect unless it proved the !
only way to save the cotton industry of .
the South. In event that such action .
should be taken, the department rep
pledged the assistance of ,
the department in developing substi-
tute crops for cotton in the contemplate
ed zone.
The seven representatives from the
cotton-free zone were R.
B. RentfrO, c. L. Jessup, Amos Rich, G. .
H Moore and S. c. Tucker, all of
Brownsville; c. H. Pease, Raymond
Vile, and H. H HARRINGTON, Kingsville.
State officials who attended were Fred .
w. Davis, commissioner of agriculture; !
Ernest E. Scholl and Ed L, Ayers, of
the Texas state department of agricul- |
ture, Austin, and F. B. Paddock, state
College Station, Tex.
After this conference, officials of the
United States department of agricul-
ture and the state Gals of Texas,
discussed the details Of the co-opera- ,
tive arrangement by which the pink
boil worm is to be kept out of thia !,
country.