The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1917-07-25
COMMITTEE OF SAFETY.
Arranging the Details OF the Trip to
Boil Wccvil ScctiOns-Iarty vii.
Leave Sumter Monday, August 9th.

Public Safety, held Saturday in the
rooms of the Chamber Of Commerce
was attended by upwards of one hun
dred members, representing every
township OF the county. 1t was one
OF the most largely attended meetings
that the committee has held since its
organization, and it was as interesting
us it was largely attended. Commit
teenen from the several townships
made interesting reports on crop con-
ditions. and also reported on the pro-
gross of the crop survey in those
townships where it has been complet
ed and the report filed. The report
indicated that the corn crop in all sec
tons Of tho county is unusually fine
and that the largest acreage Of corn
the county has ever had bids fair to
produce the largest yield per acre o..
record for the county. The reports Oh
subsidiary food crops-potatoes, rice,
peas, sugar cane, peas, velvet beans,
and all vegetables and fruits, wer,
also encouraging. But the report on
cotton was not generally satisfactory
While some sections of the county
have fairly good cotton crops, allow
ance being made for the lateness OF
the crop and the cold weather it haG
to contend with in the early part o.
the season, the majority Of the re
ports indicated that the cotton crop
has suffered materially from excessive
rain, and has not yet put on sufil-
cient fruit to make an average crop
for this season. In some sections the
crop is badly in the grass, and there
wero some reports that the crop hap
been drowned out entirely on bottom
lands. Favorable weather and lat
fall may enable the farmers Of Sum
ter county to produce an average crol
but there is no possibility of there
being a bumper crop of cotton thi
year.
The real business of the meetinc
was to discuss the trip of farmers and
business men to the boil weevil Sec
tions of Georgia and Alabama. Messrs
II. O. Plunkett and w. ]. Shealey,
the Agricultural Department of tho
Southern Railway. who were ipresent
by invitation of County Demonstrate
4
siderable valuable and interesting in
formation concerning conditions in
the wcevil infested sections OF Geor.
gia. Alabama, Mississippi, q Lsonisiana
and Texas. Mr.. Plunketk has, beer
in the fight against the boil weevi
for eighteen years and is thoroughly
familiar with the conditions in =.
Southern States and with the method
the farmers have used to fight tn
wcevil. as well as the changes In crop
that have been rendered neces
sary by the destruction of the cotto
growing industry. He told of actua
conditions in a number Of sections O
tho several States and suggested de
sirable points to be visited by til
boil weevil committee. He state,
that the Southern Railway woul
make a special low rate tothe com
mittee for a trip through Georgia, Ala
bama and Mississippi, if the commi:
tee decided to go by rail. But if tn
committee preferred to make the tri,
by auto, the representatives of tho
Southern's Agricultural department a
all points visited would be at the ser
vice Of the committee and would as
sist in every way possible in making
the trip successful and informing.
1t was decided to make the trip by
auto. as originally planned. TIL
party will leave here on Monday Au
gust 9Th. going to Augusta, via Cam
den and Columbia. and thence through
the boil weevil section Of middle and
Southern Georgia to Columbus, thcr
to Opeliita, Montgomery and Selma
Ala, and perhaps TO Greensboro. OF
DcmOpolis. The complete itinerary
was left to Mr.. j. Frank Williams t
be worked out. and this he will DE-
within the next few days. The tril
will require about seven or eight days
and the distance travelled going ant
coming will he between eleven anC
twelve hundred miles. Mr.. William.
is working out the details of the tril
and will arrange to have the party mo
and conducted by farm demOnstra
ton agents of Georgia and Alabam
at several Of the stopping places
the trip.
Between fifty and sixty have state,
that they would make the trip. bu
the list Of those who are certainly go