The Mena weekly star. (Mena, Ark.) 1904-1977, 1920-09-30
OUTLOOK BAD FOR
ARKANSAS COTTON
Survey of State Indicates Great Dam
age From Boil Weevil--No Top
Crop-More Grain and Cattle
the Remedy.

Little Rock, Ark Sept, 27--After
careful survey Of Arkansas cotton
crop conditions, ii has been found that
in those sections Of the state affected
BY the boil weevil the damage is far
greater than many people anticipated,
according to NJ. T. Payne, director Of
the agricultural Extension division,
who with the assistance Of the district
farm demonstration agents, has just
completed an Inspection of the cotton
crop of the state. Late cotton es-
pecialiy has been seriously affected
It is believed that farmers themselves
do not realize the full extent Of the
damage to their late crop.
Cotton in the southwest section of
the state will be greatly lowered un-
der the estimated Yield of August 20,
according to H. f. Kapp, district
agent. The weevil infestation is per-
haps the heaviest known for years.
All late crops will have but little fruit
and there win be no top crop on the
earlier planting.
DIR. s. r. Weigart, district agent for
southeast Arkansas, states that cotton
In his district has received its great
est damage thus far from boil weevil.
He says that while some sections have
not suffered as others, yet in general
little fruit haa set on since the middle
of August. When asked whether cot
ton would not make an increase in
yield should frost hold off until late,
he stated the frost would make no
material difference If it remained off
until the usual season of the year, as
there would be no more fruit to re-
quire late growing season for ma
turity.
Sowing to the great amount Of late
planted cotton followed by excessive
wet weather during the summer
months boIl weevil damage in part of
northwest Arkansas is without doubt
the heaviest ever experienced" says
j. G. Burnett, agent for the northwest
district In several places visited
this week young green cotton had lost
all the top and middle crop on account
Of weevils and wet weather. The
stalks had few green bolls on the
lower limbs but a close examination
of these showed that more than half
Of these were badly weevil punc-
tured. Rain had penetrated the pune
lures and the holls on the inside were
entirely rotten thru altho outside APP
.aarAnee showed them to be green
and good.
The cotton crop In northeast Ar
kansas has deteriorated very much
within the past few weeks, reports
]. Il. Nickel, farm agent from that
district. Some sections are suffering
from boil weevil ravages and only the
early crops will mature. IN many
places even the farmers themselves
are not aware to the damages Even
in section that have no weevil the
crop will not come up to the expecta-
tion of the growers.
In order that the cotton, which has
not been affected so seriously by the
weevii and other insects, may not be
lowered by mixing with damaged cot
ton and allowed to further deterlor-
ate. farmers are advised by Mr.. Payne
10 pick their good cotton as rapidly
as possible and not gin II until later
IN the fall, but to store it for the pres
ent in cotton house or other suit
able shelter.
BY storing cotton in the seed the
lint is improved, the seed Is allowed
to dry thoroly, and does not heat
when stored In large quantities as II
does if ii is ginned green. Another
important reason for storing cotton
is that it will be held off the market
for some time which viii have much
to do with increasing a demand for
good cotton and securing better
price. sls
It is too often the case, points out
MIR. Payne, that while the crop is be-
s4,xr o,..,dstrad the farf4nr has had To