The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1921-10-01
Call to Cotton Farmers

Call to Cotton Farmers
Every Cotton Stalk in State
Should Be Plowed Under
Columbia, Sept. 27.-At meet
ing of business men held in Colum-
bia few weeks ago, at. which
meeting were present bankers.
merchants and farmers, a commit
tee was appointed to draft an ag-
j. w. Seegars, Oswego., S. C.
meet the conditions caused by the
invasion of the boil weevil. The
committee. consisting Of:
r. C. Hamer, Columbia, S. C
w w Long, Clemson College, S.
Wade Drake, Anderson. S. c..
Route No. {.
J. Ross Hanahan, Charleston,
S. c.
J. W. Castor. Duncan. S. C.
c. w. Duvall Cheraw. S. C.
Dr. ". c. Brown, Newberry, S. c.
r. B. Cunningham. Allendale,
S. c.
B. W. Seegars, Oswego. S. G.
D r. Coker, Hartsville S. c..
Richard l. Manning, Columbia,
| S. c.
met in Columbia today. After
electing D. r. Coker chairman and
R. B. Cunningham secretary. the
committee fully discussed the boil
weevil situation in the different
parts Of the state, and the proper
agricultural methods to be pur-
sued by the farmers.
4 subcommittee. consisting OF
D. R. Coker. chairman, w. w.
Long. j. w. CASTOR, r. B. Gun
ningham and B. w. Seegars, was
appointed to draft the agree;i on
agricultural program for the
state, and to call a mass meeting
not later than October 10th. TO
which the program is to be submit
ted At this mass meeting all
problems connected with the bob
weevil invasion may be discusseI
1t is intended that the agricuitu-
raj program adopted by the mass
meeting shall be presented to ev-
cry farmer in the state at the ear
liest possible moment, and 1t IS
desired to enlist tie earnest co.
operation Of the entire people OF
the state in putting this program
into effect.
One matter the committee did
not feel could wait for futur.
action: The entire committee
agreed that it is imperative for
the farmers of the state to plow
under every cotton stalk just as
soon as the cotton is picked.
Experiments made at the gov
ernment boil weevil station at Tai
lulah, La, by the department OF
asriculture have definitely proven
that the earlier the cotton stalks
are plowed under in the fall, the
less the boil weevil infestation tie
next year. Many times as severe
damage was done in fields where
stalks were plowed under in No
vember as in those that were p'ow-
ed under before October 1st. EE-
cry banker. merchant professional
man and farmer in the state should
use all Of his influence to see that
this work of plowing under cotton
stalks is undertaken at the earliest
possible moment. and carried out
on every farm. for if some farms
are Dlowed and others are not. the
tremedous crop of boil weevils that
will hatch out on the young growth
on the .unplowed farms will. OF
course. do more or less damage to
the neighboring farms where the
stalks have been plowed under.
In the upper section of the
state some cotton may be gathered
until after frost. 1t is recon-
mended that cover crops be PIT
into all such cotton at once. 1t mas
been proven that a green crop
growing between the rows OF cot
ton protects the weevlls. they at
tempt to hibernate IN this crop,
and all die. for the weevil can only
exist when alternating in a dry
place where he is fairly Wei pro-
tected against cold.
1t developed in the discussion at
the committee meeting that. where
persistent and intelligent efforts
have been this year used in COM
batting the boil weevil. good crops
have almost invariably been Sc
cured. except on the lower edge OF
,hc Coastal Plain.
The purpose of the work OF this
committee is to start a movement
for the education of the masses OF
the people of South Carolina as to
the best methods of carrying on
profitable agriculture under boil
weevil condition.
(signed) D. r. Coker, Chm.
For the Committee.