The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1922-11-23
.F|GHTInG THE BOIL WEEV|l
Intelligence, Courage, and Optimism
Needed by Farmers.

Clemson College, Dec. SIN spite
of the efforts of scientists employed
by the various Southern States and
lie United States Department OF Ag'
r.cullure, and in spite Of the various
4.lnatic conditions encountered over
&c cotton growing states, the cotton
/. weevil has annually extended It's
-rations, the advance line OF this
-st having now moved entirely
ross South Carolina, leaving the
ate infested from the mountains to
&c coast. Fortunately for the farm
) of South Carolina, says w. W..
.ong, Director of the Extension Serv-
&c. we are able to draw lessons from
he experience Of other states over
.iod of nearly thirty years, the boil
Il 2evil having entered Texas in 1897
his should enable US to avoid many
: he costly mistakes that have been
made over and again by the cotton
growers of the states further west
Clemson Agricultural College and
the United States Department OF Ag-
r,culture have made special studies OF
the boil weevil problem, cooperating
with every agency interested along
this line. At frequent intervals relia-
BILE information has been issued with
the view of keeping our people thor
>oughly informed regarding this pest
and the methods of fighting 1t. In
1916 the College was instrumental in
organizing the South Carolina Boil
Weevil Commission, which went into
the infested states Of Louisiana and
Mississippi and studied the weeVil Al
first hand under conditions similar to
those prevailing in this state. The
report of the Commission issued by
Clemson in November. 1916, as Bull
letin No. 20, contained practically all
he reliable information Of importance
hat had been developed regarding the
boil weevil problem. This report had
a wide circulation and was considered
to be so thorough and accurate that
the United States Senate published 1t
in February, 1917, as Senate Docu-
ment. This document is now avail
able in revised form. Many other
bulletins, reports, and special artl-
cles dealing with specific phases OF
the problem have been issued from
time to time. The Extension Service,
through the county agent system, has
kept this information before the poo
pie constantly. As result the aver
age farmer Of South Carolina Is with
out doubt better informed In the
practical phases of this subject than
has been the case in any other state
at the time Of the arrival Of the boil
weevil.
No Time for Depressed Feeling.
Other states have had this problem
to face, and while they suffered So
verely they have demonstrated that
there are ways OF dealing with the
boil weevil problem. Cotton Is being
grown In spite Of the boil weevil.
This is not the time, therefore. to per-
NIT ourselves to become depressed
and pessimistic. Instead, We must
study the problem thoroughly and
learn the methods and practices
which enable other farmers to pro-
duce cotton proAtably under bon
weevil conditions.
Before relying upon boil wssvil In
formation, We must be sure that 1t
comes from q source that can and
does disseminate reliable information.
BY studying information from reliable
sources and adapting it to our parti-
cular needs We can adjust ourselves
much more quickly and economically
TO the new conditions enforced BY the
boil weevil. We can not rely upon In
formation based upon one years e1-
perience with the bolf weevil. The
best information i that based on
many years Of experience such a. the
states west OF Alabama have had.
These states have had time to adjust
themselves to new conditions and to
adopt new farm practices, whereas
the newly infested sections are still
floundering around from one thing to
another in an effort to hnd remedies
for the boil weevil.
There is no single new crop which
promises to take the place OF cotton
as our money crop. There is no COM
bination Of crops which can be rec
omm ended as . specific. Experiment
has shown that cotton continues to
he grown as the chief money crop IN
the cotton states already infested by
the weevil. It would be well, there
fore, for us to continue to grow cot
tom using the best boil weevil control
measures and to undertake the grow
ing of new money crops only on
conservative scale. Plunging on new
unknown money crops brings on prob
,oms that are as hard to solve as Is
t,,e problem Of growing cotton under
hrn weevil conditions. We must
ein,ply adapt ourselves to the changed
aspects of farming and meet new con-
d,.ions with suitable methods.