The Chesterfield advertiser. [volume] (Chesterfield C.H., S.C.) 1884-1978, 1922-04-20


The fact is the boil weevil can not
greatest crop.
How are farmers meeting the
boil weevil most successfully? There
are two main ways: U) Pushing the
cotton to early maturity and (2) Kill
ing the boil weevil.
The following questions and answers
give the main things that are being
done and also the mistakes that are
being made:
PUSHING THE COTTON CROP.
What soils are preferred for hasten
ing the crop?
Well drained, light soils warm up
earlier and grow off the cotton quick
er than heavy or poorly drained Soils
Sandy soils are, therefore, better than
| clayey soils.
Is II advisable to use poor soils?
1t would be serious mistake. Poor
soils never did pay, and with the boil
weevil taking toll, poor land cotton
will only put the farmer into a deeper
hole
Remember that 1t costs more to grow
cotton under boil weevil conditions,
and there must be enough cotton
to make it worth while to fight with
the boil weevil.
What varieties of cotton are pre-
ferred?
Any variety which will set an abun-
dance of bolls early and will continue
to set fruit throughout the season. A
variety which is early but which also
quits fruitiEg early is not desirable
because the weevils will do heavier
damage 20 the bOlls when they do not
IND squares TO puncturc. Cleveland
strains arc most generally preferred
by farmers.
What methods Of cultivation are
used to hasten maturity?
Frequent, shallow cultivation until
the greater part of the crop is set
Then less frequent cultivation. The
later cultivation should be the skip-
middle method, taking alternate mid
dies and with the next cultivation TAX
ing the ones that were skipped This
hcepS half Of the roots of the cotton
plant undisturbed so that there will be
less shedding, more squarng and bet
ter protection of the cotton bolls.
KILLING THE WEEvIL.
is the poison method Of killing tho
weevil practical?
III Is, but 1t is a particular method
which many farmers may fail with
When they first try it, because they
are not in the habit OF doing particu.
lar things right the first time.
u the rules for poisoning are ad.
hered to strictly the cotton farmer
VIII get the most complete and eco
nomic control OF the wecvil of any
method known.
ANY one contemplating the use Of
poison should get complete instruc.
tions from the Government Boil Wee
vii Station TalluIah, Lathe State
ltntomologist, or agricultural col
legcs.
Docs it pay 20 XII! the yeevi!s on
the young cotton stalks before squares
begin to form?
II the weevils come out of winter
quarters in large numbers and threat.
en- TO take all the first squares, 1t
Is considered advisable to kill as many
OF them as possible. Calcium arsenate
sprinkled from a perforated can or
from cheese bag on the young plants
is the most efficient and economical
method Of killing the weevils on the
young plants.
IL Is not necessary to aDDly the moi
son until just before the squares begin
to form
Is 1t practical to gather and DESTROY
squares?
III the poison method is not used Il
Will often be found necessary to gath.
er and destroy damaged squares that
contain immature weevils, in order to
nave assurance Of any sort of q urop.
Plcking up squares is not as efficient
nor as inexpensive as poisoning. but
il thoroughly done fair to good crop
can be obtained.
Is poisoned moIasses applied to co...
ton effectve?
POISONED molasses or other poisoned
sweets will kill some boil weevils dur.
ing dewless nights, but the poisoned
sweets will kill honey bees and other
sweet loving insects that are needed
TO carry from flower to flower the
pollen that causes them TO fruit. Cal.
cium arsenate dust IS more efficient
and less expensive to use where moi.
Soned mOlasses are effective.
Are boil weeviI traps practIcaI7
farmer never tries trap more
than once. The government has tried
all kinds and recommends none
Can the say Of cotton be poisoned
so as to poison or repel the weevi9
The Creator has given all plants the
power to absorb through their roots
plant food and to resist all that is not
plant food. If plants could not resist the !
poisonS in the soil we might run q
FISK OF being poisoned every time we
eat potato, apple, berry, etc.
Can the boil WeeviI be driven from