Americus times-recorder., 1920-06-09
WEEVIL SQUAD
STARTSDEADLY
DRIVE ON PEST
Youngsters Cheer For
N. A. Ray at His
Invitation

ILL " -oCFCh UOyo anu lOuA ga ID
assembled at the rooms of the Cham
Der of Commerce this morning to
participate in the boil weevil drive
staged by Americus business men
this week. All were equipped with
bottles in which to confine the wee
wills picked in the cotton fields, and
all started on their work with en-
thusiasm. Mrs. H. d. Hansford
went along with the girls as chap
erone, and c. C. Flatt accompanied
the boys to look after their comfort
and health.
While the boys and girls were
registering with Mrs. Hansford,
Neil A. Ray, whose fine farm is
located three or four miles out of
Americus, telephoned in to invite
the weevil pickers to visit his Plan
tation first, and to say that all who
came would be treated to a 'real
good time" This resulted in the
giving of ''Three Cheers, Hurrah,
Three cheers, we say. Three cheers
for Neill A. Ray" After this in
vitation it. was decide to send the
boys to Mr.. Rays farm, and accom-
panied by George o. Marshall,
county farm demonstration agent,
they left about $50 O'Clock for the
fields. They were carried out in a
truck furnished by c. G. Hawkins
ard driven by Emmett c. Hawkins,
who also brought them In later in
the day. The girls who are partici-
pa.ing in the weevil drive, were
taken to the Griffin & Humber place
several miles out on the Dawson
roa6, being accompanied by Mrs.
Hansford.
~ Negro Workers.
aNesides the white boys and girls
who are engaged n the hunt for
weevils, a large number of negroes
who gathered at the Americus In
stitute were sent to the farm of r.
P. Stackhouse on the Friendship
ro40. where they will work today
and every day this week, unless they
are scnt TO some other pace from
day to day. Cash prizes aggregat-
ing S275 have been offered for the
boys and girls who find the largest
number of weevils, and in addition
the farmers in whose fields they
work will pay penny for every Wee
vii they destroy. Reports of progress
will be made every night to George
0. Marshall by the white boys and
girls, to Ebert Stallworth by the
negroes who are participating in
this work.
Before the beginning of the hunt,
the boys AID girls were instructed
concerning the danger OF damaging
cotton by trampling upon the plants,
and were shown number of live
boil weevils. They were particular
ly cautioned against mistaking boil
wcevils for other less harmful bugs
which are also to be found in cot
ton fields at this eas0p. 1t was ex-
pla,ned to them that the small pea
vine weevil, which is practically
han n less cl ,ae'y resembles the boil
weevil, the difference being that the
pavine weevil is black, while the
boil weevil is gray in color. The
habits of the two weevils also diff
fer in that the peavine weevil will
"shame-up" or become quiet when
handled, whereas the boil weevil
continues active under the most Sc
we're conditions.
The Weevil Squad.
The white boys and girls who are
assisting in the drive are: Girls
Fannie Love Stevens, Sarah Reese,
Annie Belle Crabb, Monteen Hans
ford and Melba Hansford. Boys
Heys Arnold, Allen Brooks, Tye
Ansley, Albert Thayer, VIM. Nc
Carey, George Brooks, Harry Pitt
man, Derry Oliver, ]. R. Livingston,
J. T. Adkins, Jack Hall, Weston Rob-
inson. Robert Seig, Lee Jackson Ad-
kins, Robert Culpepper, Emory Webb
Frank Sullivan, Benjamin McMath
Gilbert Furvis, Jerre Hollis, Daniel
Murray, Robert Many, John Ewing
Kiker, y. G. Wisham, George Oliver
Coney Oliver, Eugene Boswell, c.
A. Langford, James Feagin, Otho
Weed, J. A. Collins, Charles Sulli-
van, Carr Sullivan, Orvis Kimsey.