Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1920-03-27
ARSENATE URGED
AS PREVENTIVE
OF BOIL WEEVIL

COLUMBIA, S. c., March 25.-An
increased production Of calcium arse
nate will make it possible for farmers
to wage war against the boil weevil
this year on a greatly enlarged scale,
Secretary OF Agriculture Meredith
told the members Of the South Caro-
lima branch of the American Cotton
association, in an address here today.
The eradication Of the pest will be
hindered, however, he said. by a.
inadequate supply Of busting ma
chimes, but added that manufacturers
were increasing the output of the
machines and that "in no great while
the supply will be sufficient to meet
the needs"
Regarding efforts the department
of agriculture Is making to cont1ne
the pink boil weevil to the infested
areas in Louisiana and Texas, he
asserted the departments willing
ness to place a federal quarantine.
Everybody interested in cotton
ought to realize, however" he said,
that the thing must be done now or
not at all. determination is possible
only at the beginning Of tnfestation,
when the insect occupies only very
restricted areas. Unless the pink
boil worm Is exterminated now-and
it cannot be exterminated except by
absolute cooperation of the states
concerned-it will sweep over the en-
tire cotton belt and will inevitably
inflict much greater damage than
the boil weevil has DONE"
Arsenate Is Effective
Mr.. Meredith said the test OF cal
eliminate the ordinary boil weevil
was tried last year on an abandoned
farm. 1.-THE department divided the
field into three strips" he said. 1.-THE
imprisoned strip on one side produced
forty-eight pounds Of cotton, the
strip on the other side produced sixty
pounds of cotton and the strip down
the middle where the drinking water
was poisoned produced $50 pounds
Of cotton"
More than 5000 acres of cotton
land in eastern Texas were cleared
Of cotton plants, and even the bolls
and leaves, the secretary told the
members Of the association, in order
to check the spread Of the pink boil
worm. Since then the same tactics
were used in the Pecos valley and
the Great Bend district, and nom
cotton and regulated zones established
in the infested areas and buffer strips
beyond them and also along certain
portions Of the Mexican border to
prevent infestation from Mexico.
'Fumigation houses were estab-
lished at points Of entry all along
the Rio Grande," Mr.. Meredith said,
Cost Of Production
Quoting from a preliminary report
the secretary gave some of the fig
ures on the cost Of cotton produc-
ton. Nobody has known just how
much 1t has cost to produce cotton"
he said. 1.-THE department of agri-
culture undertook to find out. The
Office of farm management began a
series Of studies in the cost Of pro-
ducing cotton under varying condi-
tions. The work has just been COM
pleted, and the preliminary report
shows that for the 1918 crop the cost
varied from sos to $1.03 per pound.
It is interesting to note that IS per
cent of the cotton on tho farms
studied, representing 6s per cent of
the producers, was grown at q cost
Of % cents a pound or less. The
average cost of production was 20
cents a pound. The average selling
price was 20 cents and even at this
price one-fourth Of the farmers pro-
duced their cotton at loss. Owing
to reduced yields and increased
wages the cost of producing the 1919
crop has been considerably larger"
land every carrier that crosses the
line, from freight car that may be
fouled with cotton to Mexican
tramp with a possible handful Of cot
tonseed in his pocket or wrapped up
in his bundle, is cleaned or disin-
fected before being allowed to enter
the United States"