Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1917-04-11

production of food and feedstuffs;
and this reduction OF the cotton acre
age should have been done long ago.
There are thousands of farmers In
the State who have already reduced
their acreages and the producing sur
plus amounts Of hay, grain and
home supplies; and 1t is difficult to
see hom such u reduction should be
Of any real benefit to them. They
are the very farmers who will be the
least damaged by the boil weevil.
The cotton crop should nc worked
frequently to keep 1t free from grass
and weeds, and to conserve the soil
moisture. Shallow civilizations
should be used and repeated every
week or ten days throughout the
growing season. If applications Of
fertilizers will be beneficial they
may be used. but they should be in
quickly available form. The crop
should be picked as early rs possible
in the fall in order that the stalks
may be destroyed, for the weevtl hi
bernates In the old stalks and the
dead squares and trash. If sufficient
horsepower Is handy, the stalks
should be,cut down and turned under
to a depth of three or four inches.
This destroys the boil weevi's hiding
place as well as adds organic matter
to the soil If all the trash cannot
be turned under in this way, it is
best to rake the stalks up and hurn
them-clean up the farm to destroy
all places where the weevil might
live over the winter. The earlier
this sanitary precaution is taken the
fewer the percentage OF weevils sur
Viving the winter will be, and If this
work cannotbe done early, do 1t late.
Clean up! Even where the best
precautions are taken some weevils
will still survive, and they appear in
the buds o. the young cotton the
next year before the squares are
formed. A very effective mode of
controlline these is to "pick and de-
stroy all these over-wintered weevils
and later to pick and destroy all in
tested squares" that can be found.
Several OF the statements made in
regard TO the methods Of combating
the DOLL |eevil are verified by testi-
gnonials and results found in Mr..
Moss's book about the weevil men,
tion above. In attempting to present
a plan whereby cotton growing may
be made snccossful under weevil con-
dtions. only The fundamental princi-
ples have been suggested, for each
farmer Mil have to solve his own
problem, for he only knows all the
factors controlling the growth Of cot
ton on his farm. But after all, as
some one has aptly said, Farming Is
one-eighth knowledge, three-eighths
doing, and one-half business" This
Is especially applicable to farming
where the; boil weevil Is to be con-
tended WITH 1.-The knowledge re-
quired iss>that an early maturing va
riety OF ofScotton planted as early as
frost will permit in the spring, on
we'll prepared soil suited to the rapid
growth and early maturity of cot
ton undergfrequent cultivation. and
the early picl1dng Of the crop that the
stalks and all protected places for
the wceviito live through the winter
be DESTROYED as early in the fall as
possible. are necessary for the profit
able growth OF cotton in spite of the
boil wceyil, practically applying
this knowledge will keep the farmer
busy doing something which will
help him, and in making both ends
meet" all his business ability will
often he taxed to the utmost. If the
farmer viii only determine to grow
cotton hia ultimate success Is certain.
s In following the outline recon-
mended above for the successful pro-
duction OF cotton when the boil wee
vii comes, many other valuable
things may be accomplished besides
raising "ott1n. TO fit the soil for
the growing Of cotton, crop-rotation
Is very benflciul, and this allows for