The Monroe journal., 1922-02-24
POISON THOSE
BOIL WEEVILS
Ten Rules Are To Be Observed
and Great Care Used-Will
BE a Few Failures
MUST STICK TO THE FINISH
Franklin Sherman. Chief Etomologist,
State Department Agriculture
Says Ii Can Be Done

Raleigh. Feb. 22.-During 1929
the boil weevil Is due TO inflict hea-
w damages in the Counties Of Union.
Anson. Richmond, Scotland, Robe
son and eastward. Farmers and coun-
ty agents are asking us about the
poison method. This article as par
tial answer-others may follow.
Some accommodation for meet
ing the boil weevil problem are of
three kiEds-First. 10 grow some
thing else in place of cotton. Second.
to use sucn varieties of cotton and
such methods of culture as will pro-
duce a fair yield in spite of the
weevil. Third, the picking of the
weeyils, destroying fallen squares,
poisoning the weevils. etc, This third
class is known as the direct reme-
dies because they aim at reducing
the weevil population.
The poison method, using pure dry
calcium arsenate dust, is the newest,
and offers the best chance to the
careful grower. II has developed
chiefly through the work of Mr.. B.
R. Coad, OF the United States de-
partment OF agriculture at Tullulah,
La. For four years before 1917,
small plot tests were made, and fl
nally uniform gains were secured OF
from $50 10 1000 pounds OF seed
cotton to the acre. In 1917 several
hundred acres were under test - In
1918 about $4,000 acres-in 1919,
about $4,000 acres. Through all this
time the general results were profit
able, and lessons were learned from
the failures.
State workers tried it-from Tex
as. Alabama and Georgia not 70 men,
tion alb bulletins have been issued.
The general concensus of results mot
mere opinion) Is that the method is
practicable and profitable, but all
land this includes Mr. Coad also)
point out that care is needed, that
lack OF thoroughness makes for fail
ure, and that rains are likely to in
terfere. All these matters are cover
ed in condensed form by circular
No. 1852. Some Rules for Poisoning
the Cotton Boll-Weevil' by Coad and
Cassidy. The interested farmer should
write 10 L. S. department OF agricul-
ture, Washington. d. c., for that
circular.
BY 1920 many farmers busted
their own cotton, some with proper
care, and others not About 5000
tons of calcium arsenate were sold
for cotton busting in states from
Texas to South Carolina OF course
they were failuers. Causes for fail
ure were: Too few dustings. too long
intervals between dustings, machines
too small for acreage undertake
en-. Mir. Coad made many inquiries
and concluded: while there were
many failures, there were many more
successes, and on the whole the ex-
perience for the season showed more
plainly than ever that il is possible
10 control the weeyil if the work is
done properly. II emphasizes the re-
peated advice OF the department DO
il right or not at ALL My facts and
quotations from Mr.. Coad are taken
chiefly from the U. S. department
agricultural year book for 1920.
We learn that the manager of
large cotton-growing syndicate In
Mississippi, having tested out the
poison method in 1921 with 40 tons
of calcium arsenate, is now ordering
100 tons for the work in 1922. And
we know that the chemical and
machin. firms are placing their goods
on sale in many places. including
points In North Carolina. Large
quantities Of poison for 1922 are
stored at Richmond. Atlanta and
other points.
II is the coming method. II is still
new. II is still under study and i'm
provement and We hope that this will
[, continue-but the basis, the founda-
tion Of it's beyond the stage of ex-
pertinent. SO many are using the
method that all cannot be supervis-
ed by official workers. Surely care
less ones will try 1t and fail There
may be failures even among the care
full ones. But among those who are
careful and studious we shall expect
many more successes than failures.
Guiding Points For Weeyil Poisoning
/. The farmer should be careful
and studious. He should study the
methods beforehand.
2. The land should have a natur-
al caracity of onC-half bale per acre
or more-the poi on method cannot
atone for poor land.
3. Work toward a reasonably ear
ly' setting of the bools approved va
rietles and methods of culture.)
4. The costs range from S4 to IS
the acre for the season, The number
of dustings needed will range from
three TO six.
! 5. The gains range from 200 10
400 pounds seed cotton a year-the
extremes run much higher and much
4 lower.
s. Use machines made for the
purpose of cotton dusting.
Z. Use pure calcium arsenate as
a dry dust, not mixed vita any other
material.
s. The work should be done at
night. Georgia tests show day dust
inEs to be better than none at all.
3. Dustings should begin when
I over TO per cent OF the squares arc