The Chesterfield advertiser. [volume] (Chesterfield C.H., S.C.) 1884-1978, 1922-07-20
COkER STILL STRONG
FOR SWEETENED POISON
Hartsville, S. c., July Is, 1922

harIs'iile, .. u, July ID, 1922.
To the Editor:
l notice appearing in all of the dali
ly and weekly papers this week an ar
tlcle from Clemson College purporting
to give advice as to the latest and
most approved methods of handling
the boil weevil.
l am sorry to take issue with the
weevil experts of the College on this
matter, but feel compelled to do as
my own experiments and those of
many of the best farmers in the
State lead me to differ from them in
important particulars. Clemson Col
lege is supported principally by the
farmers of South Carolina and sub
NIT that where there is important evil
dence available from many of the best
and most reliable farmers in the state
it should be given at least equal
weight with that of the "experiments
in Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi.
Texas and Oklahoma"
The boil weevil has been in South
Carolina for several years during the
most of which time the government
and college experts have advocated a
method of weevil control which was
expensive, which requird much judg-
ment in its application and which in
volved night work. Besides in practice
last year the government method
proved to be dangerous in that some
crops were severely damaged by plant
lice after two or three applications of
the calcium arsenate in dust form.
l have abundant evidence that the
early poisoning of the weevils by the
molasses-calcium aresnate method is a
success and is SO cheap and simple
that it can be put into universal prac-
tice. l think it a fair deduction from
the results obtained that, when put
into universal practice, it will greatly
delay the rapid increase of weevils
and allow the whole crop to fruit for
some time longer than when early
| control methods are not applied.
The experience of Mr.. McDuffie,
farm manager for Ex-Governor R. l.
Manning on his Meredith place, is suf-
ficient on this subject although it is
confirmed by practically every other
farmer who used the molasses treat
ment in time. Mr.. McDuffie poisoned
his worst infested field of 10 acres on
or about May "a, at which time there
were no squares upon the cotton. UI
to that time he had picked weevils
from this field frequently and upor
the day of poisoning was getting at
rate of about 200 weevils per acre Mr.
McDuffie poisoned his field severa
times between May "a and June 27
on which day he told me that he haC
] frequently and carefully examined
this field during that interval (Ma!
"a to June 27) and had sent hand.
into it to search for weevils, also tha
Ex-Governor Manning had been will
him on at least one occasion search
ing for weevils, that he had been un
able to find single live weevil il
this field during that period, that h,
had been carefully over the field dur
ling the past efw days and had ount
but two small spots in which any
squares were being punctured. (Thes,
of course he had carefully picked up)
The cotton referred to was planted il
March and was carried to the end o
the perid of weevil emergence wit
practically no infestatiou or damage
About one week later Mr.. McDuffi
told me that he had just plowed owe
a 65acre field and had offered hi
lplow hands cents each for puncture
squares. They had turned in abou
100 squares or N squares per acre
u I could quote Messrs. w. A. Gee
Stnckexof, Lesc coppty, 7. w, .GoodsQ