The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1920-01-01
PRACTICE ECONOMY
THROUGHOUT STATE
DETAILED STATEMENT ON BOIL
WEEVIL IS PREPARED.
Build Up Bank Accounts.
Much Damage Expected Next Year if
Season is Wet, Accord
ing to Experts.

or the SeVereSt economy, TO Du1lQ up
q bank account, and the installation
Of system of diversified agriculture,
with livestock raising as the funda-
mental, are the surest means of meet
ing the boil weevil menace which
threatens the whole State, according
toa detailed statement on the cotton
pest prepared by W. w. Long, direc-
tor Of extension, Clemson College, for
Governor Cooper, and released by the
latter today for publication.
DR.. A. F. Conradi, entomologist,
Clemson College, in statement in
serted by Prof. Long, says if the cot
ton season of 1920 is wet that serious
damage from the boil weevil may be
expected in the counties in the terri
tory below line drawn from point
on the Savannah river few miles
below Augusta, Ca, to Mt Pleasant
!; on the coast, namely: Beaufort, Jas
per, Hampton. Colleton. Dorchester,
Orangeburg, Bam berg, Aiken, Barn.
well and Allendale. However, if the
winter has low temperatures, he said,
and the growing season is dry, then
no very serious damage is to be ex-
pected in these counties. If the win
ter lis mild and followed by wet
growing season, he continued, then
serious damage may be expected in
the lowlands of Berkeley, Williams
burg, Georgetown and Horny coun-
ties, and furthermore damage may be
expected in spots in low lands as far
north as the latitude of Columbia.
In Coastal Counties.
'In the coastal counties lying be-
low line from the southern part of
aiken county to Conway, in Horny
county, claims Prof. Conradi, cotton
production i9 rapidly becoming a
gamble and as already stated, serious
damage will occur in 1920 if the sea-
son is wet; and it is Of the greatest
Importance that the farms become
self-supporting and self-sustaining
Immediately"
Prof. Longs statement follows:
ttThis article is to discuss and en-
phas,ze the great devastation and
hardships the people have passed
through in States infested by the boil
weevil in past years and the means
they used to regain their present pros
perity. Unless we prepare we have
every reason to believe we will suf-
fer similar experience. It is admit
ted that In some sections the farm
ers have recovered and business is on
q sound foundation; therefore we
shall 'scuss this problem from four
standpoints. The effect of the boil
weevf1 on the agricultural interest in
the States where it has existed for
several years; second, effect of weev;l
on other industries, such as banking
and oil mill interests; third, how
best to prepare to meet this menace;
and fourth, the counties in this State
In which we may expect the greatest
damage next year.
Cotton Production.
I'm the matter of cotton production
In Texas in 1900 there were planted
several million acres, producing g.
400, eco bales. In 1914 the acreage
had increased to 100000 acres,
and the crop to 100000 bales. It
must be understood that the increas-
ed acreage in cotton in Texas has
been in that part of the State known
as the prairie section, which is very
hot and has very little rainfall. In
Louisiana where the acreage remain
ed practically the same during the
fourteen year period, the production
fell from one-half a bale per acre
to something like one-th:rd of bale
per acre. From these figures it will
be seen that when the boil Weevil
was at it's worst in these States there
was disastrous reduction in cotton
production and they emphasize the
absolute necessity for our people to
begin at once to- change their agricul-
ture.
"In 1905 there were 2,o76 operat-
ing ginneries in Louisiana; in 1915
there were 1886; in 1906 there
were Is oil mills in operation; in
1916 there were IA; in Mississippi
In 1906 there were $3.50 ginneries
in operation; in 1916 there we're g.
204. In the same State there were
"a oil mills in operation before the
advent of the weevil and in 1916
there were only 54.. It can be seen
from these figures just what these