The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1917-01-31
THE BOIL wEEvn. MENACE.


Ihave just been looking at a recent
ly corrected government map. which
shows the progress Of the boil weevil.
and realized as never before that this
section Is face to face with an immi-
nent danger which is going to mean
calamity to the whole State in two or
three years unless the most vigorous
and-> intelligent measures are taken
Immediately.
The map shows that during the past
two years the boil weevil has COW
cred about three-fourths OF the State
Of Georgia and during the last sea-
son alone it covered in Georgia an
area almost as large as our whole
state. II 1t advances as far thisyear
40 II advanced last year it will 60
almost across the State and reach ou
eastern border counties. II 1t advances
half as far as 1t has advanced the
past two years It will reach Chester
field. Darlington. Florence, Williams
burg and Georgetown counties. II it
continues to advance one-fifth as far
each year as II has advanced during
the past five years It will enter Horny,
Dillon and Marlboro during the fall
OF 1918.
Few Of the farmers In this section
have realised the danger or taken any
steps to meet II. They are now MAX
ing their plans to put In the biggest
possible cotton acreage that present
conditions will allow. Not many are
arranging for larger areas OF food
crops or planning q rotation to meet
boil weevil conditions. a-.,
have heard OF few who do not
believe that there II any danger. They
say that Darlington county along
with the upper half OF the State Is
north OF the section where the boil
NOtvf1 has done serious damage; that
tho climate here II cooler and kener-
al conditions different from the section
In which the boil weevil damage has
been severe. To this I reply that there
has been serious boil weevfl damage
In Mississippi, Tennessee and Arkan-
sas. a. tar north an the upper boun-
dary Of our State. that 1t has nearly
covered the state Of Arkansas. the
upper half Of which is In the same |
latitude ss North Carolina. Further
more. the boil weevil has always ad-
vanced more rapidly parallel to the
coast and II has done serious damage
throughout tho entire belt for mere
than 200 miles inland. Only the wss-
tern corner OF South Carolina ts more |
4asan 800 nilss- from the SEA ana this
Darlington county ts less than sew
snty-nve miles from tidewater. The
boil weevil likes moisture and the |
whole OF our State corresponds in
rainfall with the southern sections of
Alabama. Mtssissippi and Louisiana.
where boil weevil damage has been at !
It's maximum. The minimum tent
peratures OF our whole State, except
tho extreme western corner also cor
respond with the minimum tempera-
lures In the worst infected area. The
altitude OF our state above the sea
level corresponds closely with the
state OF Alabama. practically all of
which has been infested by the weevil.
These facts with reference to RAIN
fall. temperatures and altitude have
Just gotten from set OF government
maps. There 10 not the slightest ques-
tion In my judgment that the boil
weevil will cover most Of the State Of
south Carolina in the next two years
and that unless we prepare to meet
the invasion we will In three or four
years be suffering as acutely as cen
tral and southern Alabama now is.
A large proportion OF the people in a
large section OF Alabama have been
forced to move away and many Of
those who are still there are In the
direst poverty and distress.
What are the Immediately neces-
sary steps to avert or partially avert
the calamity?
First and foremost. cut the cotton
acreage heavily this year and substl-
tute food and soil Improvement crops
Arrange to cut the total cotton crop
down to 80 per cent of the total acre
age next year.
Every acre In the State not seeded
to grain should be covered next fall
with a cover crop--rye on the poorer
soils and In the lower half Of the
State and crimson clover and vetch
In the Piedmont.
Seed OF the very earliest varieties