The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1922-02-16
Ten Steps in Fighting the Boil Weevil.

Cotton has been grown successfully
for years under boil weevil conditions.
If other farmers have succeeded, so
can you. Herewith is a brief state
ment of the methods that have been
successfully used:
/. Grow not more than eight to
ten acres of cotton to the plow, un-
til you can learn for yourself how
many you can handle properly. If
labor is scarce it would be we'll nct
to undertake more then foacres to
the plow.
The land on which cotton is not
grown should of course, be used for
food and feed crops and part to
some money crop as peanuts, sweet
potatoes, tobacco and hay, according
to the adaptation Of the soil.
2. Prepare the seed bed early so
that it will be we'll settled by plant
ing time. Heavy lands should be
broken earlier than usual.
8. Plant early fruiting varieties,
varieties which while setting fruit
early will continue to form squares
throughout the season. 1t is also de-
sirable that the varieties have thick
skinned bolls. The varieties general
ly favored for boil weevil conditions
are the Cleveland strains, Cook. and
Express.
4. Plant early, as soon as the
danger of frost is past. Earliness is
considered very important and should
be promoted by every practical means.
The use of the delinted seed is rec
commended, since they germinate more
quickly and give a better stand.
5. Fertilize literally. Fertilizers
must be depended upon to set enough
fruit on the cotton stalk to make it
worth while to combat the boil weevil.
Fertilizers can also be depended upon
to hasten the maturity of the crop,
especially if the fertilizer carries q
high percentage of phosphoric acid.
Nitrogen must be depended upon to
quickly develop sturdy stalk. More,
in fact, than the usual amount Of
nitrogen should be applied at plant
ing time, but if nitrogenous top dress
ing be made, it should not be applied
later than three weeks after the
plants come up.
Fertilizers should be applied at the
time the rows are bedded, which
should be at least two weeks previous
to planting. For coastal plains or
sandy soils use a fertilizer carrying
8 to 9 per cent phosphoric acid, to
4 per cent nitrogen and 2 to a per
cent potash. For the Piedmont
region, or heavy soils, apply a fer
tiIizer carrying 9 to IL per cent phos-
phoric acid, 8 to a per cent nitrogen
and 2 to per cent potash.
Where the cotton follows legume
: crop turned under, the percentage OF
nitrogen may be lessened.
6. Cultivate intensively. The crop
should be cultivated every week or
ten days, especially during the early
, weeks of the cotton growth. This is
important in pushing the vegetative
growth Of the plant.
When the cotton plant has gained
considerable growth cultivation may
become less intensive. 1t is better
then to cultivate alternate mddles,
leaving for the time half of the root
area Of each row undisturbed. With
! the next cultivation, Of course, the
skipped middles should be worked.
/ z. Kill the weevils when they fret
emerge from winter quarters. Often
the weevils appear in spots or re-
stricted zones nearest the woods, hay
stacks, or other favored winter quart
.rs. On these local areas poisons
may be applied early, or the weevils
themselves may be picked by hand.
8. Gather infested squares and
destroy them. When squares flare
open and begin to turn brown 1t
means that the squares or buds
contain immature weevils. These
squares, whether attached to the
stalks or fallen to the ground, should
be gathered and destroyed. One pros
pective weevil destroyed at that time
means an escape from damage that
its thousands of descendants cen
cause later on.
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