Fitzgerald leader enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ben Hill County, Ga.) 1921-1964, 1921-06-29
|Laurens Farmer
Beats Boil Weevil
Discovers New Poison of Syrup and
Arsenate that Saves Crop

DUBLIN, June %. - A formula
that will kill the boil weeyil and keep
field clear of them until August,
when the migratory weevis are in
action, is being used this year by DIR.
w. B. Taylor, of Dexter, Laurcns
county, who has been growing cot
ton in Laurens for the past three
years in spite of the boil weevil Last
year he made l39 bales off $50 acres.
in spite of the weevil, the hot wealth
err and other hindrances.
DR.. Taylor lives about IA miles
from Dublin, where his farm is To-
Gated, and he has become the recog-
nized boil weevil expert OF the coun-
ty, who was determined to grow cot
ton in spite of the weevil, and has
succeeded. Saturday friend in
Dublin asked him about the weevil
on his farm. "Why, the boil weevi
is a joke with me-" he said. Il laugh
every time | think about him. | can
rid any field of the boil wevil for Is
cents per acre if I'm given just two
successive days OF sunshine" He
was Immediately asked for an ex-
PLANTATION and when he replied that
he had WORKED out a formula for
poisoning the weevil, and was using
It. he was asked forr that formula,
Here it is just as he gave it, and it
has been Endorsed by County Agent
J. B. Tye, who was present at the
time:
Take molasses, gallons, l ounce
OF saccharine, 2 packages of ice
cream powder, 10 pounds OF calcium
arsenate and gallons of water.
Mix the ice cream powder and the
saccharine both in a little water be-
fore adding to the other ingredients
When you have it all mixed well to-
gether be sure it is kept agitated so
that the poison does not settle to the
bottom,
Make mop by taking small
stick, and tying a roll of cheesecloth
around one end about two inches
wide. Get you an old tin can, fill it
with the solution, keep it stirred and
walk down the row and put d few
drops on the leaves near the bud OF
the plant. Be sure the mixture is
kept we'll stirred while you are put
ting it on. Only a small amount is
required for each plant, and with the
above amount of the mixture scien-
tifcally applied it should cover 20
acres. Some, however, apply little
thicker than needed and it may not
cover more than 10 acres. A few
drops to each plant is just as effec-
tive as a gallon.
Only one application is needed,
provided two sunshiny days follow
its placing on the plant. With This
solution in use and all the square.
picked up, the cotton plant pushed
just as fast as possible, the farmer
should have full crop of cotton
made by August when the migratory
weevils began to swarm, and when
it is useless to fight any longer ii
you have made the crop by that time
however, you are safe.
In explaining his formula, DR.. Tay-
lor made the following points clear
He has found by two years of spe-
cial experimental work that the wee
vii are attracted by sweet mix
ture, and easily fall prey to poisoned
sweets. Syrup, calcium arsenate and
water will kill the weevil, but he
adds the saccharine to make the
mixture sweeter than Just plain syr-
up, and more enticing to the wee
VII. The ice cream powders are
added for the purpose of giving the
mixture body" makes it foamy and
mucillagenous, therefore, hard to wash
off by the rain, and sticking longer on
the pant while it requires less agita-
ton. Any kind OF syrup, corn syrup
molasses, or any like sweetenng will
do.
DIR. Taylor has proved his ability to
fight the weevil by growing splend-
i'd crop of cotton for three years in
succession, while the Laurens County
farmers all around him have not made
one-third of crop during that time.
He is recognized in his home county
as an expert on the weevil, and has
earned his leadership by checking the
pest