The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1921-06-26

W. F. Warren, one of the best post
"a cotton growers in this section Of
the state says that the cotton crop
Is Threatened with extermination, and
backing his statement he produces
facts from personal observations CLEAN
ed from recent trip over the county.
Mr.. Warren owns one Of the finest
river bottom farms in the county,
and says that he win probably not
guther bale TO twenty acres this
season
In speaking Of the situation yester-
DAY Mr.. Warren said:
"The boil weev is abroad in the
land good and plenty, and if he is
left undisturbed will have the greatest
feast he has ever enjoyed in this sec
tjon of the state because he Is 80 days
earlier than ever known.
"He is sitting upon nearly every
stalk Of cotton, waiting for the bud
TO form so that he can rip it off
clean with his sharp tweezer-like teeth
| the minute il shows up.
what is the grower who has gone
to the trouble Of preparing his land,
planting. and cultivating 1t UP to
| date going to do about it, Is he going
TO sit idly by and mourn because such
conditions exist, and say that nothing
can be done to stop the ravage?
81 can't, believe that any man who
has any red fighting blood in his
veins is going to do anysuch thing,
believe he will go after the weevil and
fight him to finish, and that is ex-
actly what he will have to do if he
has any cotton to sell this fall.
There are numerous ways for fight
ing the weevil, most Of them calling
for expensive machinery, and ex-
pensive chemical powders, that ar?
out OF the reach OF the average farm
er, especially at this time when there
u general business depression.
There is another way to get
the weevil, but il takes everiast-
ing vigilance, and lot Of hard
work, and that is the plow. Plow
through the cotton at least once
a week. On each side Of the culti-
vator there should be attached
sack, filled with dirt TO give il
weight i'm order to agitate the
stalks when plowing up and down
the rows.
This agitation will knock a lot
vi the weeyils off the stalks, and
the plOw will cover them up. II the
weather is hot, the earth will kill
them Immediately, If not by. the
time the farmer gets back 10 them
the following week they will not
have gained sufficient headway,
and will be easily knocked off the
stalks again.
This process will have to be
kept up all summer, until the bolls
are full grown. or the cotton be-
gins TO open, this is tlte cheapest
and most efficient way Of de-
stroying the weevil.
IF one is pl0wing with n single
plow. the sacks would have TO be
arranged in such a manner that
they would agitate the stalks from
top TO bottom. The weevils are
not so hard TO knock off when they
first begin to work. This method
is used every year by the farmers
Of the east, and Is being adopted
on many Of the larger plantations
in Texas, taking the place OF ex-
pensive machinery and chemical
treatment.
when cotton was at the top price
reached during the past few year
the. use Of expensive machinery an,
Chemicals would bankrupt the strong
est Of them. and with the prospec
that cotton will be 10 or l2 cents an
possibly less. 1t is entirely out OF tn
question with the present day cotto
farmer 10 use the expensive means
The simple method Is effective. bu
Remember 1t takes eternal vigilanc
and lot OF hard work. once the farm
er lets his crop 90 by for two o
three weeks he is lost, the weevil get
him and he will have nothing this fai
10 show for his seasons labor.
II would advise every cotton farme
In Carter county 10 get busy on thi
proposition at once. because there ney
er was graver danger to the Gro
than Ut present, q great deal of dan
age has already been done but q lc
can be avertei by immediate action