Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1918-07-24
MERIWETHER CLUB.
of Agricultural Club
Gave Delightful Barbe-
cue. Address on
Boil Weevil.

Nowhere in South Carolina will
one. find a higher order of citizen
ship than,is to be found in the Meri-
wether section of Edgefield county.
They are intelligent, public-spirited,
hospitable, and have had large part
in making history for the old county.
AS an evidence of the fact that they
are in the forefront is the existence
of an agricultural club, (organized
many years ago for mutual helpful
ness) that will compare favorably
with any other organization. of the !,
kind in the State.
The officers Of the club are, DR..
Traylor Briggs, president; Mr.. Fred
B. Barker, secretary, and Mr.. Alva
l.. Stevens, treasurer. Its member
ship is composed of practically every
farmer in that section, together with
representative citizens in other parts
of the county. Business meetings are
held at stated intervals at which sub
'jects bearing upon every phase of
agriculture are discussed and occa-
sionally specialists and other promi-
nent men are invited to address the
meeting. Once every three months a
social meeting is held and barbe-
cue dinner served to the members Of
the club and their wives.
Before the war so vitally affected
and so completely engrossed our peo-
pie the club held an annual picnic
and the young people of Georgia and
Carolina regaled themselves with
dancing in the spacious hall while,
the older ones held pleasant social
intercourse out upon the well-shaded
grounds. The club very wisely decid-
ed this year not to hold the public
picnic. However, a very pleasant day
was spent Saturday by the members
of the club and their families at the
hall; serving one of their barb becnea
/ dinners that have made the club fasz
:Ilflous. ii
The attendance was large and rep
resentative and about II o'clock all !
assembled in the hall for the business
session, the president, DR.. Briggs,
presiding. At the conclusion OF the
business session, Mr.. Anderson, who,
had been secured through the efforts
of County Demonstration Agent
Stokes, addressed the meetinng upon
the boil weevil. Mr.. Anderson has
been employed by the government :
for number of years devoting his :.
entire time to the weevil infested
section of the cotton belt. For the
past year he has given most OF his;
time to Beaufort county where the.
weevil appeared in small numbers.
about a year ago. There are none IN.
that vicinity now, however, the near
est to South Carolina being south
of Macon. !
Mr. Anderson stated that the pres
ent crop of cotton is safe and that
probably the crop of 1919 will not
be attacked but whether or not the
weevil will reach this section in the
following year will depend upon what
progress is made in the meantime in
its march toward the Savannah river.
He urged the necessity of beginning
to prepare for the coming of the wee
vii, so the change from cotton to-
other crops will not demoralize our
people and cause heavy loss. He stat
ed that statistics show that many sec
tons of Louisiana and Mississippi
which grew cotton entirely before
being infested by the boil weevil
have profted by being forced to take
up livestock and plant other crops
besides cotton. The only way to grow
cotton successfully in weevil infested
districts is to plant an early variety
and cultivate rapidly so as to secure
for the plant as much matured fruit
as possible by the 1st of August. The
weevil seldom, practically never, at
tacks the bolls but lays its eggs (some
weevils as many as 26 day. in the
squares. The infected squares drop
off, the weevil matches out and enters
upon it's campaign of destruction. AS
practically no damage is done before
J the latter part of July, it is possible
to have an early variety of cotton
mature much fruit by that time. Mr..
Anderson has made a practical study
of the weevil and it's operations for
a series of years and is therefore
thoroughly conversant with every
phase of the subject, being able to
answer intelligently any questions.