The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1922-12-13

of any boil weevils or any pune
turee squares. We ran out of
the poison and where it has not
been used so per cent. of the
squares a,e .ounctured." !"
could quote many other state
nents of like tenor but the above
are representative of the expert
ences OF practically all the farmers
WHO have tried the molasses mix
ture this or last year.
Many different mixtures of cal
cium arsenate, molasses and water
were used all apparently with
similar success. This shows that
the method has not been perfected
and suggests that comprehensive
experiments are badly needed to
reveal the minimum eff ct iv e
amounts of calcium arsenate and
mo1asses in the mixture and the
correct number Of and intervals
between the applications.
we tested here this year many
different mixtures of calcium arse
nate. m GLASSES and water and many
methods Of application. All were
successful to a greater or less de-
gree. The rainfall Of this section
was abnormaliy frequent and abb
normally heavy from May "A to
August 20. On our: best drained
soil We made from rs per cent: to
100 per cent. of an average. crop.
On lands less, well drained we
made from 40 per cent. to SO per
cent Our total average yields were
fully two-thirds of "a normal crop.
On most of our crops we used six
or seven treatments Beginning
June 12 (Which was at least one
week too late fer best resuits) and
ending August which we now
think was too early to Quit. We
treated several fields on August 21
with spray pump and secured ex-
cellent results i have before me
a report 6f the operations on one
IA acre field treated six times from
June. 13 to August 4 at a cost Of
s2.53 for materials, s1.51 for Ia
Dor; total cost s4.e4 per acre: 8
3a-4 pounds of calcium arsenate and
six gallons of molasses per acre
being used. Twelve bales weigh
ing 6,175 pounds were produced.
Drawing Conclusions
Our experience and that Of many
other farmers all over South Caro-
lima and Georgia point definitely to
the following conclusions:
First: A mixture Of about one
pound OF calcium arsenate, one
gallon of water and one gallon Of
naolasses applied at the rate Of
about one gallon per acre to the
Young cotton just before the
squares begin to form will destroy
practically all of the old weevils
on the cotton. -
Second: Further applications ex-
tending to the end of the period Of
emergence will destroy nearly all
OF. tie later emerging weevils.
Third: This viii protect the cot
ton crop from serious 1nfestation
until around August I. and viii al
low fair crop to be made with
out further treatment. The total
cost of the above treatment VIII
not exceed S1.56 for materials and
the labor cost. which is usually
borne by the tenant, will run be-
tween Is cents and 40 cents per
acre per application.
Our own experience has convinc-
ed as that applications should be
begun again in late July or early
August when further infestation
from neighboring fields begins and
should be continued at least until
the bolls begin to open. @sss
The present supply of calcium
arsenate would. I believe, be. suf-
ficient to afford excellent weevil
control on every acre of cotton in
the. United States if mixed with
molasses and water and applied in
two to four applications, the first
to be made just before the squares
begin to form and the last at about
the end of the emerging period.
The overwhelming problem of
weevil control during the coming
year is the. calcium .arsenate sup
ply. It seems a great pity to me
to allow 5 per cent. or 10 per cent.
OF the best-off land owners in the
south to monopolize the supply
while the other 80 per cent or 95
per cent OF the acreage is being
ruined, whereas at least two meth
DDS OF control are in existence (the
Florida plan and the calcium AZ
p1an), by the use
of either Of which the pest can be
controlled on 50 per cent. or more
of the acreage
trust that very many Of the in
teIligent farmers of the south will
during the coming year conduct ac-
curate experiments on. the Florida
plan and the calcium arsepate-
molasses plan, varying these eX-
periments as to amounts and times
of application. In this way vii!
there be worked out the cheapest
and most efficient method of con-
troll. / should be glad to have ev-
cry farmer in South Carolina Who
has tried any modification Of the
calcium arseante-molasses method
to write me his experience in or