The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1919-11-20
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 1919.
ADOPT NEW METHOD
How Some OF Our Georgia Friends
Are Beating the Boil Weevil

Now that the boil weevil is in South
Carolina in large numbers, is rapidly
advancing and will soon ravage the
entire cotton area of the State; the
following liberal extracts from let
ter written just one year ago
by The A. p. Brantley Company.
Blackshear, Ga, to their customers
and friends should be of interest to
South Carolina bankers, business men
and farmers.
The letter is rather, lengthy, but it
IS we'll worth reading, as it is appli-
cable to conditions existing today in
many South Carolina communities:
Blackshear, Ga, November 6, 1918.
"The time is now here when those
who make their living out of the soil
must give serious consideration to
the question Of what crop to depnd
upon for a money crop. The boil wee
vii makes it questionable if it is safe
to rely upon cotton as heretofore.
While W. do not advocate the entire
abandonment of cotton for the pres
ent at least, at the same time it does
not now appear to be the part of wis
dom to risk all upon that crop. Until
we know more about the boil weevil,
and how best to control his ravage,
it is the part of simple wisdom to de-
vote only comparatively small acre
age to cotton. Meanwhile, what will
the farmer do? He cannot afford to
stand still. He must go forward OF
cease to exist, and planting time will
soon be here! Plainly, therefore,
decision must be reached and effect
i've plans accordingly laid. The desire
to aid you in this critical situation is
the simple purpose of this circular.
Tobacco looks good, and, after pref
ty thorough investigation, we believe
there is the possibility of splendid
profit from its cultivation. Farmers
around Nichols and Douglas have
made a great deal of money out Of
tobacco this year. Our information
is that profits have ranged from $500
to $400, anG even more, per acre. To-
bacco does not require the long grow
ing season that cotton does. The crop
is made and the money is in your
pocket by the time cotton is ordinari-
ly ready to be picked. Therefore, to-
bacco, would not interfere with cotton
if you wish to devote an acreage to
both. Further, it is belived, by those
competent to Judge, that the tobacco
market will be high this year. With
average success, therefore, one crop
should pay all expenses and leave
comfortable profit besides 1t must be
understood in growing tobacco the
first year that expert advice is vital
to success. 1t is very probable that
competent and reliable expert tobac-
co grower can be secured for COM
pensation of ten per cent. of the value
of the crop actually grown. For this
compensation the expert would sup
ervise everything from the prepara-
ton of the seed bed to the harvesting
and curing of the crop. Such an az
rangement offers the decided advan-
tage of being reasonably safe, and,
besides, there is no other way to make
a successful beginning. Another i'm
portant thing is that tobacco should
be grown in communities. BY this we
mean that the farmers of a given
community, where the farms are rea-
sonably convenient to each other,
should all plant tobacco. The reason
for this is that this plan makes it
possible to secure the necessary eX-
pert advice and supervision at the
least possible expense, and in addi-
ton makes possible the interchange
of necessary labor at the harvest sea-
SON. This last is very important
consideration. The curing of tobacco
is a matter of prime Importance, and
for this purpose properly construct