The log cabin Democrat., 1922-01-07
ADVISES AGAINST
 BURNING STALKS DOES NOT KILL WEEVIL
Col J. E. Little Says Fertilizer Value of SIP an Acre is Lost by Practice
 of Burning Stalks in Fields.

Farmers will maks serious mis- take if they burn cotton stalks and other vegetable matters in cotton fields in an effort to reduce boil wee vii infestation inefhe coming crop, ac- cording to Col. J. E. Little, Arkansas river planter.
 "Boll weevils do not hibernate in cotton stalks or other vegetation in the fields," he said. They generally go to the timber and find winter quar- ters in old logs and stumps l think weevils reported to have been found in cocklebur roots are what we call bur weevil They are smaller than the boil weevil and never injure the cotton
 Colonel Little said that for many years he never allowed anyone on his plantation to burn cotton or corn stalks or other vegetation. It is con- servatively estimated" he said, that the fertilizer value in an average field of cotton stalks is SIP an acre. Aside from the fertilizer elements the veg citation when turned under the soil makes it porous so that it retains moisture and helps to prevent injury from drouth.'
 Colonel Little thoroughly agrees with statement from Loy K. Rast, of the Southern Soil Improvement Committee, appearing in today's Ark ansas Gazette.
 MT. Rast said that while he was boil weevil specialist for the United States department of agriculture and located in the southeast, he received many re- ports that farmers had found boil wee wills hibernating in cocklebur stalks. Mir. Rast said that he Investigated every such report that he received and that one of hundreds of specimens he examined not one was a boil weevll. The insects were found to be beetle that somewhat resembles the boil wee vii in size and appearance.
 "There is undue alarm on the part of some farmers who suffered serious damage from the boil weevil last year
  from the pest for several years,' sand Mr. Rast Such farmers keep a care ful watch for boil weevils and they will examine every insect that in any way resembles the boil weeVil and usu- ally will mistake it for the cotton pest. This probably will result in the burn ing of enormous quantities of decaylng weeds in an effort to get rid of these insects. whose mistaken identity leads the farmer to believe they are boil weevils. It is a serious mistake to de- stroy these weeds or even the cotton stalks, the burs of which sometime contains weevils. Most of our soils are now badly in need of the organic mat ter and all of this material should be plowed under where it will decay m the soil and not only help to Iiberate some of the plant food that Is now locked up in the soil particles and un- available to plants. hut will also make an application of commercial fertili- izer more profitable. The organic matters hsorhs and retains enormous quantities of water that is necessary for plant life and can be taken ny theze plants from the organic matter during long smells of lry weather whe~ our rrars ordinarily suffer most for want of water,
 "Farly preparation of land is one of the best starts that can be made to- ward producirc a profitable crop of cotton this year, but the weeds and grass as well as old cotton and corn stalks, or any other materials should be plowed under and not burned The burning of materials should be prac- ticed only when ditch banks, turn rows and such places are cleaned off and the accumulation of trash and lit ter is greater than can be plowed un- der"