The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1922-11-21

GTdde FeruHzeTS secret OF SucceSS.
No Calcium Asenate Used.
Terrell has always been Georgia's
greatest cotton producing county, area
considered. A dozen or more years
ago, before the advent of the boil wee
vii, this county was given the .distinc-
ton by government statistics of pro-
ducing more cotton per square mile
than any other county in the United
States with the single exception of
one county in South Carolina. Since
the boil weevil came Terrell county has
maintained its supremacy as a great
producer of cotton, and government
statistics this year show that it has
grown a larger number OF bales than
any other county in Georgia, notwith-
standing the fact that numbers of the
states most fertile and best agricul-
tural counties are one-third to two or
three times as large i'll area.
Terrell Still at Top.
Terrell was one OF the first counties
infested by boil weevils when that pest
entered the state i'll 1916. There were
dire predictions of distress and posi-
bic suffering, and belief on the part of
many that the days of cotton as
money crop were at an end. Such
were the forebodings. But with de-
termination and resolution, which
have ever characterized them, the
farmers of the county met the new
situation bravely and hopefully, and
set about to give the destructive cot
ton pest which had destroyed untold
of wealth the fight of its life.
They brought in battle array against
its hungry hordes their energy and
industry and knowledge of approved
and successful farming methods, with
the result that the boil weevil if not
completely routed, has met antagonists
who have held it at bay and very
materially reduced its destructive raw
ages.
The result has been that not single
year since weevl infestation has the
cotton crop been a failure in Terrell
county as it has been in vast sec
tions of the state. Production has
been very greatly reduced, it is true,
but at that the smallest yield any one
year has been 10000 bales.
Big Yields This Year
This year the production has been
$4,000 bales, and al
though this is far short OF yields in
past years it demonstrates that the
batted to a certain extent.
Practically every farmer in the
county who stayed on the job and
used his head in planning and cultivat
ing has realized profit from his cot
ton crop this year, while some have
produced really remarkable yields.
Among the latter are B. M. David
son, who has gathered 400 bales from
80 plows; ]. P Perry, 285 bales from
II plows; w. H. Dismuke, AIS bales
from 81 plows; w. D. Davidson $40
bales from 40 plows. Among others
who have grown large crops are Tom
B. and Gay Raines, w. J. Mathis, J.
w. Tilley and many more who might
be mentioned.
On parts of their crops some OF
these farmers made bale to the acre.
Mr.. Dismuke has gathered 90 bales
from 90 acres, and from 50 acres Mr.
Ti1ley has got SO bales.
Did Not Use Calcium Arsenate.
In this connection it is of interest
to note that none of the farmers men
toned above used calcium arsenate to
poison the weevils They have improv-
ed their land to high state OF culti-
walton, and their method of beating
the pest is to thoroughly pre-
pare the land, plant only the best va
rieties of seed, fertilize highly and cul-
tivate rapidly and late.
Cotton will never again be grown
on the scale it once was. but that it
can be made probably and be a source
OF ready money, if sufficient supplies
are raised and the farm made self
sustaining, has been convipcingly
demonstrated here in Terrell county.
As to calcium arsenate, the Messrs.
Ranes used it only as an experiment
this year on about 30 acres and are
pleased with the result. They are OF
the opinion. however, that it can be
applied prohtably only to cotton on
land in the highest state of cultivation
and heavily fortified The ordinary or
average farmer cannot, in their opin-
ion. use it TO an advantage. Some 9th
ers who experimental with the poison
this year are of the opinion that it IN
creased their yield sufficiently to war
rant the expense, and viii use 1t IN
larger quantities next year. Its use,
however, is not expected to be gen