Fitzgerald leader enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ben Hill County, Ga.) 1921-1964, 1922-11-30
Cotton Industry Policy Told
By United States Officials
Department of Agriculture Tells Best
Methods for Overcoming Weevil
and Improving Staple

WASHINGTON, Nov. 80 The
governments policy with regard to
the cotton industry was outlined to-
night by members of the department
of agriculture's cotton council to the
cotton conference, held in connection
with the annual convention of the
Association of Land Grant colleges.
How to Fight Weevil
One of the principal subjects COW
cred in the recommendations is the
fight against the boil weevil To
overcome its ravages it was said to
be of first necessity to mature the
largest possible crop in the shortest
possible time. To accomplish that
end the cotton councils recommends
tons include.
Selection of well-drained, fertile
soils; if possible, only land capable
of producing, with reasonable fertiliza-
ton, at least half bale per acre.
Preparation of a good seed bed,
literally fortified.
Planting of good seed of improved,
early maturing variety, recommended
for the locality by the state expert
ment station and the department of
agriculture.
Planting of seed of a single va
riety by entire communities and coun-
ties.
Securing and maintaining a full
stand through proper planting and
liberal use of seed, and carly and fire.
quent thorough cultivation.
Destruction of Weevils
Destruction of all possible adult
weevils, either by hand picking or
poisoning, if weevils are numerous at
the time cotton is just beginning to
square
Picking and destruction of all pune
tured squares every week or ten days
for a month if not equipped to poison
by busting. Then, if weevils are still
numerous, apply calcium arsenate dry
dust poison following directions of de-
partment of agriculture or state col
lege of agriculture.
Picking of cotton in the fall as rap
lily as possible and Immediately kill
ing all cotton stalks, thereby destroy
ing the food supply and breeding
places of the weevil before hiberna-
ton period.
Burning over, or cleaning up, dur
ing winter of woodland, trash or rub
bish in which weeviIs successfully hi
bernate. especially in terraces, fence
rows, ditch banks and ravines.
Urge Florida Plan
Recommendation for controlling
the boil weevil were formulated be-
fore the announcement of the Florida
state plan board of its new method
for reducing boil weevil injury Ito
short staple cotton and in view of
the promising results expected for
Florida conditions, the cotton council
says it was clearly desirable that ex-
perimental application of the Florida
plan should be made in each of the
different states.
Improvement of the quality of cot
ton, the cotton council declares, be-
comes more essential as the standard
of living of cotton producers rises,
and as the competition of foreign
cotton producing regions increases.
Recommendations are made for the
encouragement of production of cotton
above 7-8 and up to 1-8 inches there
being no economic justification for
growing fibre less than 7-8 of an inch
in length. 1t finds the quality OF
the crop in recent years despite efforts
of many agencies, private, state and
national. The most serious obstacle to
improvement of the quality of cotton,
the council states, is that too mony
kinds of cotton are planted in the same
locality resulting quickly in a blend
ed mongrel breed of greatly inferior
quality, having reduced value.
Want Pure Seed
The quality of upland cotton can
be improved and the improvement
maintained only through production OF
adequate supplies of pure planting
seed of superior varieties for which
establishment of centers of pure seed
production is essential. Restriction
of production to a small number Of
varieties would be materially advan-
tageous, both from the standpoint Of
production and marketing.
Recommendation of state institu-
tons as to the best cotton varieties
for the different sections of the belt
have been assembled by the cotton
council and endorsed by it with the
suggestion that federal cooperation
with the state should be directed tc-
war aiding in the establishment oil
purc-varicty seed-production areas
Marketing Problem
The marketing problem is recogniz-