Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-12-08
FARMERS TOLD HOW
TO FIGHT WEEV|L

Many recommendations OF inter
est to southern farmers in their fight
to curtail the ravages Of the boil
weevil were embodied in program
adopted Monday at a meeting of
southern business men. bankers and
fertilizer manufacturers at the Pied.
mont hotel. The meeting was call
ed by the soil improvement commit.
tee Of the Southern Fertilizer asso-
citation and the program adopted was
worked out by the staff of the com
mittee, in cooperation with govern.
ment agencies.
DR.. George A. Maloney, govern,
ment expert, who has devoted some
time to special study of means of
combating the boil weevil, discuss.
ed the various plans now being advo'
Gated as a remedy for the weevil. He
made the statement that the cal
cum arsenate method applied cor.
rectly would give 100 per cent con.
troll over the weevil.
In the program adopted the farm.
ers are warned that they must
gather in the damaged squares or
apply poison" if the weevil is to be
destroyed, and it was declared that
poisoning with calcium arsenate is
successful if conducted in strict &C.
cordance with the recommendations
Of federal authorities"
Those present at the meeting Mon.
day pledged themselves to cooperate
in giving the program widespread
publicity. Other group meetings are
planned for several cities throughout
the boil Weevil territory during Jan.
uary.
Farmers are urged to practice di.
versified farming, in the program
adopted. Enough food and feed
crops should be grown to supply the
needs of the family and live stock,
it is stated. "This will allow the
centering of the farmers borrowing
power on productive agencies, like
fertilizers, good seed and improved
machinery"
In regard to cotton acreage per
pillow, the program advises "that
land devoted to cotton should not
exceed eight to ten acres to the
plow and if labor is scarce the acre
age should be further restricted un-
til the farmer has learned for him.
self how many acres he can handle
properly under boil weevil condi-
TONS"
More fertilizers should be used on
the better soils than on the poorer
soils, according to the program
which points out that 'the better
the soil the greater will be the crop
increase due to fertilizers" Where
top dressing of nitrogen is used it
should be applied not later than
three weeks after the cotton comes
up. The amount of nitrogen may
be decreased where legumes were
turned under the previous season.
cat least 400 pounds of a fertilizer
Analysing from 8 to 9 per cent phos-
phoric acid, to per cent nitrogen,
and 3 to per cent potash should be
applied on coastal plains or sandy
Soils
cat least 400 pounds Of fertilizer
Analysing 8 to IL per cent phos-
phoric acid, 8 to per cent nitrogen
and 2 to per cent potash should be
applied on Piedmont or heavy soils.
The program sets forth that en-.
couragement should be given to the
growing Of other money crops and
that the agricultural colleges and
county agents should be queried for
specific information concerning the
introduction Of new or highly spe
cialized crops.
In his address DR.. Maloney out
lined the success Of the various ex
periments conducted at Tallulah, La.
in the effort to find a successful pre-
tentative for the boil weevil. He
said that after years of work they
had decided on the calcium arsenate
method of busting the cotton as the
only real remedy.
Where the farmer does not know
how to dust with calcium arsenate
and has a great amount of labor on
his place, he should practice weevi
picking, he advised. He declared
however, that the calcium arsenate
method was the most economical
yet devised.
He said that his laboratory would
be glad to analyZe free Of charge
any sample of calcium arsenate sent
to Tallulah through the county ag
ricultural agent and that the gov
eminent bureau would send on re
quest the rules for applying it.
This meeting was preliminary
to the annual convention of the
Southern Fertilizer association
which will meet here December IA
1t was presided over by Chairman
w. e. Richards, of the soil improve
ment committee. Other speakers
were DR.. j. N. Harper, director OF
the committees staff; c. A. Whittle
who has made a study Of boil wee
vii conditions throughout the south
f. H. Jeter David D. Long, soil ex
pert of the committee; Harry Hodg
son, former president Of the South
ern Fertilizer association, and Rus
sell Porter, president of the asso
citation.
Other recommendations in the pro
gram are: 1. Use productive up
land soils, rather than bottom lands
or heavy soils.
2. Plant early, as soon as the
danger Of frost is past.
8. Grow early fruiting varietie,
preferably those varieties which
while setting fruit early will con