The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1922-03-24
COTTON GROWERS
TAKE NOTICE

Under the above caption, the Am
erican Cotton Association has the fol-
lowing, in part, to say:
The campaign for cotton acre
age control and crop diversified
ton is as imperative in 1922 as
it was in 1921. If the cotton
acreage is materially increased
and a large crop is produced the
present financial depression of
farmers will be intensified with
no possibility of paying off debts.
Reports indicate that a much
larger percentage of live weevils
are passing through this unusu-
al mild winter than ever before
in the history of the insect. The
whole cotton belt will be alive
with adult weevils as soon as
the crop is planted, up and grow
ing.
Experience has been clearly
demonstrated that the boil Wee
vii cannot be successfully COM
batted when more than 6 to 8
acres of cotton are planted to
the plow, followed by intensive
and rapid cultivation, liberal
fertilization, in the old cotton
states, and the intelligent use
of. poisons.
To plant more than 6 to 8 acres
of cotton to the pillow in Abbeville
County this year, in the judgmen:
Of the editor Of this paper, spells dis
aster. Our reasons for so stating are
these: In the first place, those of us
who planted cotton in the infested
area found out last year that IL to
Is acres Of cotton planted to the
pillow, which was poorly fertilized and
but i%ndifferently worked, meant a to-
tai crop failure. 1t was only the early
bolls that opened. We made about an
average Of one bale to the pillow. 1t
is easy to see that had we planted
less cotton, fortified it we'll, worked
it out early and them cultivated it
rapidly, we would have made much
more cotton on 8 to 8 acres than on
the larger amount of land planted; in
the second place, whether we plant
a small crop or a large crop of cotton
the chances are that we will not
make more than two or three bales
to the pillow, evidencing the import
ance of planting a small amount of
cotton so that we may plant and Gull
tivate food crops, looking to the lat
ter for a subsistence and to cotton
only as a money crop.
In the third place, and this is most
important, We must remember that
Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Louisi-
ana, Mississippi and Alabama have
had the boil weevil for a good many
years already. The people in these
states have learned how to grow cot
ton under boil weevil conditions
while we have not. With favorable
seasons the cotton farmers of these
states may make enough cotton, with
out the assistance of South Carolina
and Georgia farmers, to supply the
wants of the world. If they do this
and our'crop at the end Of the year
consists of two or three bales of cot
ton and no food and feed crops,
where vii! we be? The threatened
want and ~privation Will be here on
every hand.
The Press and Banner is firm IN
the conviction that the people of
this county are face to face with a
question of greater moment than any
question which has come up for So
luton in the last half century. The
people q solve the question and
solve it correctly # they will, but
we are afraid that they will not do
SO. They have been warned so often,
and have as often planted cotton only
that we have misgivings as to their
doing the only logical and imperative
thing at this time.
We need leaders in Abbeville Coun-
t. at this time such as we have not
needed in a long time. The forward
looking men in every community