The Pulaskian. (Pulaski Heights [Little Rock], Ark.) 1915-1929, 1920-09-23
BAD
OVER STATE
BOIL WEEVIL HAS TAKEN HIS
TOLL AND LATE CROP HAS
LITTLE FRUIT AND THERE is
NO TOP CROP AT ALL.

4 SdS COIlOu crop COHultlOHSs 1t Has
been found that in those sections of
the state affected by the boil weeviI
the damage is far greater than many
anticipated, according to NJ T.
Payne, director of the Agricultural
Extension Division, who with the as
sistance of the district farm demon
stration agents has just completed
an inspection Of the cotton crop of
the state. Late cotton especially has
been seriously affected. 1t is be-
lieved that farmers themselves do
not realize the full extent of the
damage to their late crops.
Cotton in the southwest section of
the state will be greatly lowered I'M
der the estimated yield of August Is,
according to H. F. Kapp, district
agent. The weevil infestation is per-
haps the heaviest known for years.
All the late crops will have but little
fruit and there will be no top crop
on the earlier planting
DR.. S. p ,Weigart, district agent
for southeast Arkansas, states that
the cotton in his district has received
its greatest damage thus far from.
the boil weeyil. He says that while
some sections have not suffered as
severely as others, yet in general, lit
tie fruit has sci 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 that 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
require a late growing season for
maturity.
Owing to the great amount of
late planted cotton followed by ex-
cessiye wet weather during the sum-
ner. months, boil weeyil damage in
part of northwestern Arkansas is
without doubt the heaviest ever ex-
perienced,' says ]. C. Barnett, agent
for the northwest district. In sew
eral places visited this week young
green cotton had lost all the top and
middle crop on account of Weevils
j and wet weather. The stalks had a
few green bolls on the lower limbs
but a closer examination showed that
more than one-haIf of these were
badly weeyil punctured. Rain had
penetrated the punctures and the
bolIs on the inside were entirely rot
ten, although outside appearances
showed them to be green and good.
The cotton crop IN northeast Ark
ansas has deteriorated very much
within the past few weeks, reports
IJ. E. Nickel, farm agent from that
district. Some sections are suffer
ing from boil weevil rayages and
only the early crop will mature. In
many places even the farmers them
/ selves are not aware to the damage.
Even in sections that have no weevil
] the crop will not come up to the ex-
pectation Of the growers.
In order that the cotton, which has
not been affected so seriously by the
weevil and other insects, may not be
lowered by mixing with damaged
cotton and allowed to further de-
teriorate, farmers are advised by Mr..
Payne to pick their good cotton as
rapidly as possible and not to gin it
until later in the fall, but to store it
i for the present in a cotton house or
other suitable shelter.
By storing cotton in the seed the
! lint is improved, the seed is allowed
to dry thoroughly, and does not heat
when stored in large quantities as it
does if it is ginned green. Another
important reason for storing cotton
is that it will be held off the market
/ for some time, which will have much
TO do with increasing a demand for
good cotton and securing a better
price.
1t is too often the case points out
Mr.. Payne, that while the crop is
being produced the farmer has had
to 90 into debt for food for the fam
ily. feed for livestock and other sup
plies. In the early fall these bills
must be paid and the farmer IS
forced to sell although his desire
may be to hold his cotton. Such a
system should be done away with as
rapidly as possible.
If the boil weevil continues to in
!. crease in Arkansas, it is important
that farmers devote more Of their
land and time to raising feed crops