The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1922-12-20
FIGHT AGAINST
BOIL WEEiVIlI[ WIE
secrtary of Agriculture Wal.
lace Optimistic Over Sue
cess of Experiments
Made by Experts

,
en- by the department Of agricul-'
ture to combat the cotton boil
weevil have brought about a Sit
uation more favorable than ever
before" Secretary Wallace inform
ed Senator Harris of Georgia in
a letter made public today by the
senator.
Mr.. Wallace declared his depart
ment had found effective the dust
ing method and also the new meth
cd developed in Florida and had.
requested the cooperation of the
war department in the further
testing of the possibility of aiHplane
dusting.
with these two major and
highly promising developments OF
the past year to thoroughly test
out the coming season. the Sec
retary wrote, ..the: scientific forces
OF the department will be fully
occupied and those who have been
studying the problem feel very con-
fident that out Of these methods
and the ones now in use will be
found a satisfactory ) combination
for practically all conditions.
K The agriculture secresary's let
ter was in reply to one from, Sen
ator Harris, Enclosing communi-
cation from (, constituent, who eX-
pressed The belief that .half had
not been done by the department
which should have been done.''
The damage from the cotton
boil weevil varies considerably
from year to year and this letter
coming as it does just at the close
Sf one Of the most seriously In
furious seasons experienced in re-
cent years." Mr.. Wallace wrote,
mo doubt truly represents the state
OF mind OF great many people in
the south. Those, however. who
have been closest to the problem
realize the difficulties with which
the scientific workers have had to
contend in the development Of con-
troll measures for this insect and
consider rather that the. advance
ments have been more than could
be expected.
.In fact, just at the present
time the situation is more favorahle
than ever before. The busting
method has in the face Of heavy
infestation of this year proved it
self capable Of satisfactory pro-
tecting the, production Of cotton
in large areas Of the south. This
method seems to be especially
adapted for the more productive
areas and where the staple cot
tons have been developed and in
those regions where the yield per
acre is half a bale or more the
method has been proven satisfac-
tory
Just recently, as you no doubt
know, DR.. Newell and Mr.. George
Smith Of the Florida. experiment
station have published a bulletin
giving a complete and detailed
account of a long series of expert
ments in the use Of another
method Of control, which appears
to be peculiarly adapted to meet
the conditions in the Florida re-
gion and in, other regions Of the
south in which the cotton produc-
ton per acre is relatively low.
The fact that the Florida
method has been carried out sue
cessfully by the ordinary share
troopers and the cotton production
pra,1 .cally is that before the Wee
vii invasion seems to warrant the
conclusion that this will prove to
be n cheap and efficient method
over large area in the south. The
department is just at this time re-
questing cooperation of the war
department in the further testing
of the possibility OF aeropiane dust
ing.
The remarkably successful re-
suits obtained elsewhere by this
method seemed to abundantly
justify the additional expense that
will be incurred in q much more
extensive test to be carried on this
year, which should determine con-
clusivefy whether these machines
can be depended upon to mater
tally assist in the control of this
nest