Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-04-03
FIGHTING THE WEEVIL

full observers that the progeny or one
pair of weevils will amount to as much
as twelve to fifteen million in single
season. 1t is not difficult to see, there
fore, how much persistent picking of the
weevil early in the season means to the
production of cotton. The fact that cot
ton has been raised successfully In
Georgia under boil weevil conditions by
aggressive farmers, most of whom had
enough labor on hand to keep the wee
wills picked according TO the instructions
OF the county agent, shows that We can
control the damage which this pest
would otherwise infiict in a large meas
ure if we go about the thing in the right
maner. In this connection il is impor-
tant TO state that the land owner who
expects to live in town and leave his la
or to operate his plantation they see
fit will not produce much cotton. On
he other had if he makes the children on
the plantation through his active person
al supervision pick the weevil as indi-
Gated in this article and destroys his cot
ton stalks at the proper time in the fall
he will be able to raise A very consider
able amount of cotton at a reasonable
cost The farmers of Georgia and of the
south will therefore determine by their
effort and their attention to these sug-
gestions to what extent cotton can be
grown successfully under boil weevil in
festation.
DAMAGE DONE wEEVIL BY COLD
WEATHER
a.. B. b. writes: What do you think
the cold weather did for the boil weevil?
The thermometer went low ten de-
greeS above zero, Do you think It killed
many of them:
The chances are that a considerable
number of weevils which happened to
be moving around during the recent
cold weather were killed. Temperatures
as low as ten degrees above zero are not
favorable to this insect. On the other
hand, the weevil takes cover to admirable
advantage and as he would go into hiber-
mating quarters in the late fall no doubt
many of them were well protected and
will, therefore, come out as soon as the
weather warns up in the spring and at
tack the cotton plant. 1t will be a
suicidal policy to depend on the com
plete destruction Of this pest by the
cold While the numbers which will be
present in the fields this year may lie
reduced somewhat, unless a most vigor-
Gus and active fight is conducted against
the weevil along the lines which have
been so carefully outlined and so widely
and thoroughly disseminated throughout
Georgia by means Of the boil weevil
campaign inaugurated and conducted
through the Georgia State College of
Agriculture this insect will undoubtedly
do serious damage TO the cotton crop
in many parts of the state. This is
more likely to be true, of course IN
those sections which have been infested
for more than one year, but a very ac-
tive and vigorous effort to minimize
the multiplication of the weevil and TO
hold his depredations in check should
be made i'm every section where his
presence was discovered and reported on
last fall.
GROWING VELVET BEANS WITH
CORN.
]. c., Simpsonville. s. c., writes: I
thinking of planting velvet beans in my
corn. What variety shall | plant? How
many bushels can I expect to the acre?
How much seed will 1t take for an acre?
shred the corn for feed. / would like all
the information you can give me.
1t is probably best for you to plant
what is known as the NinetyDay va
riety of velvet beans. 1t is claimed for
these that they will mature in one hun
dred days. Our experience here at
Athens, however leads us to believe
that they will require 12O to 1870 days
in which to mature. In planting them
i'm corn we would put them alongside
the drill row. Plant them beside every
third stalk. 1t will take about a half
peck of seed per acre when planted in
this manner. a good way to plant
them is to make a little hole in the
ground with a round stick, drop in the
bean and then press the earth down
firmly with the foot in passing.
The yield will vary much with the
season, soil, locality and variety of
beans selected. Anywhere from eight
to twelve bushels per acre will probably
he a fair return for this crop when
planted i'm corn. Much larger yields, OF