The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1921-07-14
(By Jack Snyder)

Most great discoveries have been
the result Of a fortunate accident. !
and through these numerous discoy-
cries mankind has benefited in al
most every walk OF life.
A kite and key in the hands Of
DR.. Franklin unloosed the mightieet
power that the world has ever known,
and one that has done more to de-
velop the latent resources of the ma
tion than almost any other one thing.
DR. Franklin brought the electricity
from the heavens. and science has
harnessed it until it is the most po'
tent factor OF our induatral life.
James Watt, watching the lid Of
a teakettle filled with boiling water
made the startling discovery that
rteam could be harnessed, and so
made to serve mankind. His theory
was put into practice and from the
first crude steam engine has been
developed the mighty engines and 10
comotves that we have today
Sailing from the old world to dis
cover u shorter route to India, Col
umbus discovered America. America
has developed in 429 years to be the
greatest Of all world powers, and
the most progressive nation on earth.
But it remained for a Georgia negro
field hand to discoved means OF
exterminating the greatest menace to
the cotton industry of the south, the
boil weevil, and from his discovery
IS developing into practice that which
is almost sure to be success.
While eating his humble lunch in
the cotton field, a drop Of moiasses
| from his bread CHANGED to fall upon
a cotton stalk. the stalk was also in
| tested with weevil ana the moment
the insect got scent of the molasses
/ he immedately began 10 search for
! ii. The negro reported the matter
! to the land owner and stated the
circumstances that caused him to OBJ
serve the action of the weevil to-.
ward molasses
The owner concluded that if the
weeWl was anxious for sweet stuff,
that u little poison mixed with it
would be the means Of getting rid
Of the pest Putting his theory
into practice he mixed molasses and
calcium arsenate together and ap
plied it to Il small area of stake,
using mop" made by wrapping
rags about short stick for this
purpose.
In a short time the weevil began
to feed on the sweet, and after q
few moments began to curl up and
die. The story was given to the
press, and now the cotton farmers
throughout the entire cotton belt are
talking about IT,
W. X. Shackleford, president and
general manager Of the City DRUG
Store Company saw the article, and
having been reared in the cotton belt
of Arkansas the idea appealed to him
He had theory that other ingredi-
ents mixed with the COMPOUND
would prove more effective, anc
therefore prepared mixture aftel
his own formula. Having compounded
the mixture he sought a place tC
experiment with II. and selected the
farm Of j. c. Crosby east Of the city
for that purpose.
Inc solution WAS dpplltu 10 Il SINAI
area OF cotton. and in a short time
those who had planned the test haI
the satisfaction of seeing it get il
its deadly work among the insects
As soon as the weevil obtained
the scent, they LEFT the squares upof
which they were working to seeI
out the poisoned sweet. and in n few
| moments after having found it. al
were dead upon the ground.
Another experiment was made thi
morning at the same place on lar
ger area with the same result, s.
, there is no longer doubt in tn
minds OF those who witnessed IN
test. as to the effectiveness Of tn
l.. drug.
- II has been discovered that tn
best time to apply the poison is whel
the stalks are small. II the fiel
. is covered at this time, one applica
= ton will be sufficient to exterminat
the pest. If the stalks are allowe,
To gain their present rank growth
the task IL somewhat harder, an
necessarily slower as it will take IN
insect longer TO find the poison
, II has also been demonstrated that IA
! best time 10 apply the mixture is lat
. in the evening so that it will remail
moist as long AZ possible. As tn