The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1922-01-18
TEN STEPS TO MAKE !,
IN FIGHTING BOIL VyEEVIL

! side application may be made at the
tlmc the cotton is thinned or about
J Two weeks atlCr tic cotton comes up.
Late applications of soda will delay
/ maturity and cause . excessive boil
wccvli damage. Fairly liberal appli-
cations Of acid phosphate at planting
time or previous to planting will has
ten the maturity of the cotton, and
this is very desirable under boil wee
vii conditions. More detailed informa
tion concerning fertilizers will be Civ
en- by the county agent if requested
Frequent cultivation is important.
This is one reason why it is neces-
sary to reduce the amount of acreage
to the plow. The crop should be Gull
tiVated every week or ten days from
the Very beginning.
1t is important that the weevils he
killed when they first come out of win
ter quarters, because to kill one weevil
at that time is worth killing thousands
few weeks later. The early weevils
Woull be found on the terminal buds
or the young cotton even before the
squares begin to form. They will be
found in spots or restricted areas near
the woods, hay stacks, buildings, etc,
or other places where they may have
spent the winter. These small areas
may be either poisoned early or the
wceV1ls may be picked off by hand.
All the early weevils will not be
round. AS soon as infested squares
are discovered in the field these should
De picked off and burned. When the
squares flare open and turn brown. it
Is q good sign that it is infested with
an immature wcevil. Cheap labor
should be used in gathering squares,
as the plow hands should be kept busy
with. the plows. This work should be
done during June and July, at inter-
Vals or three, or four days.
Poisoning is still in the experiment
tai stage, but good results have been
secured with calcium arsenate dust
where directions have been closely foil
lowed. 1t will be we'll for q few farm
ers in every community to try the
poisoning method onl and that will
normally make as much as bale OF
cotton per acre 1t will not be neces
sary to pick squares where the poison
Is used. No farmer should undertake
to use poison unless he Is willing to
follow instructions to the letter. The
most effective and cheapest poison is
calcium arseante dust. Information
can be secured from tho county agent
concerning methods OF application.
1t is possible that some of us arc
counting too much on the fact that
cotton stalks have been plowed under.
The more plowing under OF cotton
stalks Is not worth very much. The
principal advantage that comes from
ploWing under cotton stalks is in de-
stroying the food and breeding place
Of the weevil earlier than the frost
viii destroy it. To get efficient results
from plowing under cotton stalks, they
should be plowed under about two
weeks before the first frost. This will
cause many weevil grubs to be de-
stroyed THAT might otherwise mature
and pass through the winter, and will
destroy the food of the weevil and
cause him to go into winter quarters
hungry, and less capable Of living un-
til the next spring.
There are many farmers in the boil
weevil territory who made more than
bale of cotton per acre, last year by
carrying out thep Ian outlined above,
while their neighbors made only one
or two bales to the plow by following
the old methods. Let us not be dis
couraged. We can make cotton under
boil weevil conditions, but we must
fight tho doll weevil all the year.
j. e. TRDvATHAN,
County Agent.