The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1919-12-24

tiilit1CilS " IiiS
world population
To that extent, according to some
authorities, the boil weevil has not
provedsto be an uniliXed evil. Clem-
\ ent s. Ecker, executive vice president
Of the Southern Settlement and De-
& velopment Organization, with which
the South Carolina Landowners asso-
cation is affiliated, says that the Wee
vii changes the whole agricultural
4 three years he causes acute suffering,
but then cotton raising is taken up on
an improved basis, other forms Of ag-
ricuIture are entered upon, and the
! region invaded by the weevil begins to
& get rich
Having started in Yucatan or Cen
Y trail America, where the cotton plant
originated, the weevil advanced
through Mexico and crossed the Rio
Grande at Brownsville about 1892. 1t
has spread since then, extending its
range annually from 80 to 100 miles,
depending upon weather conditions,
until it has invaded most Of Texas,
Oklahoma and Arkansas, has overrun
completely Louisiana. Mississippi and
Alabama, is approaching the Tip OF
the Florida peninsula and the norther-
most limit of the cotton belt IN south
ern Missouri, Tennessee and Georgia.
The boil weevii entered South Caro-
lima last year and this year 1t spread
practically. throughout the southern
and central parts of the State. It has
even crossed the line into North Car
DINA and has been found in the vicin-
ity Of Wilmington, y. c., the United
States department Of agriculture
states There seems to be no doubt
that the insect Will spread to the linn
1t of the cotton belt,
Nothing has been found SO far to
stop the progress of this pest, whicil
has caused millions of dollars Of
37damage to the cotton crop, sometimes
to the extent Of so per cent III certain
sections, but government scientists
suggest. asa means OF control, cer-
tain methods Of cultivation and land
cefaring and fertilizing, the use Of
early varieties of cotton, and other
methods of control. Poisoning has
been successful 10 a certain extent.
The, situation created by, the aG-
vent of the boil weevil in South Car
olina is being met by the South Caro-
lima Landowners Association with
constructive program to encourage d.
yersifed farming by creating home
cash markets for farm products 9TH
or tI1an cotton. To that end the as
ISOLATION has. been: active assisting in
the organ iaztion of corporations to.
operate meat packing plants. grain
elevator grist mills. sweet potato dry
ing plants and storage warehouses,
syrup mills, peanut mills, velvet bean
crusheFs or similar establishments at
pointssuch as Orangeburg. Beaufort,
Walter55oro, Brunson, Bamberg, sum
ter, Haftsyille, Kingstree and George
town. $By5 this means, it is pointed
out, the farmer Who is discouraged
BY the bob weevil from continuing to
raise cotton, is assured that he can
raise cattle hogs, grain, sweet pota-
toes. sugar cane and iegunae crops
and tiSFn theIa into cash at nearby
points@The faru1ers are being encour-
aged 6s bankers and business men in
CharIesfansand other cities joining the
State Development Association as the
result ofnaei fbership campaigns con-
Quoted in several cities.
That South Carolina can produce
the goods in other lines than cotton,
as can other Southern States, is
shown by the fact that federal de-
partnsent of agriculture records show
that the three largest record crops Of
lima
when the yield per acre was in each
case over 200 bushels, reaching 256
bushels IN one case. Also. South
5 Carolina is making such progress in
the livestock industry that she will be
the leading livestock state Of the un
ion, according to George r. Wheeler
of Charleston. manager of the South
Carolina landowners association, of
which Senator Niels Christensen Of
Beaufort is the president.
That association has legislative
program to press before the General
Assembly this winter, which pro-
gram, soficers os the organization be-
Heve, xviii help overcome the effects
of the boil weevil. The program in
cludes authorization of a State high
way SYSTEM which VIII enable the
farmers TO get their products 10 mar
ket; a dog control law which will tend
to encourage development of the
sheep Eiudustry: amendment OF the
chatteE mortgage lay and passage Of
marks and brand law which are
calculated to help develop cattle rails
ing; elimination Of free range. and
law for the control of woods fires.
A model drainage law also is to be
soughtsof the South Carolina leGisla-
ture. and in that connection it is stat
ed that this State has over 100000
acres Of land that need drainage in
the interest Of health Improvement
and general development. good
deal of drainage is being done by' the
organization Of local districts in the
State as in other parts Of the South.
One of the newest OF the South Car
DINA districts is Clarendon county
drainage district No. 8. which is oper-
atino near Foreston. having been or