The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1922-11-22
(By N. L. Willet in News
Courier).

Courier).
In the old days the culture Of
cotton was sadly abused because it
excluded the growing Of other
crops, hut this does not alter cot
ton value. We now understand
that the farm must feed itself and
the farmers family For two years
a large portion Of our cotton has
been sold under cost Of produc-
ton. The south needs and must
have a dependable cash crop.
Mr.. George D. Smith, of@the ag-
ricultural experimental station Of
1.-The University of. Florida, with
,Evast accumulated weevil data at
hand before him and with thir-
teen years of actual weevil field
Experience gives to the south a
wholly new and a revolutionary
process ,of weevil control. His
methods are totally unlike all Vice.
VII research work to- date. The
cost is not over s1.25 per acre
land the experimental station says
that if the Smith rules had been
universally followed in Florida this
year the outturn per acre in cot
, ton would have been increased over
Is32.90.
/ This totally new line remedy is
not perfect but it is an advance
land Florida believes it will save
! 80 per cent Of the normal crop.
The gist of the method may be pat
| into two sentences: First, re-
move all squares from the cotton
iplant about June 5, Aand destroy
them; second, follow this at once
i.withsa thorough application of call
/, clum arsenate, busted, using a
suitable gun machine. This meth
cd is not effective, unless all VIM
| tel: weevils are out of winter
leuarters... In Florida this is about
fJune S. This work can be done; by
women and children. Each work
| er must be equipped with tight
Ewell-made cotton cloth sack. not
gunny, provided with a draw
sEstring for keeping the mouth
Eclesed. AS the squares and wee
wis are picked from the plants
they are placed in the sack and
later ON taken from the field and
/ burned. Not a single weevil on
the plant or in the bag must escape.
lTheawork must be supervised by
an intelligent person. The good
of the plan comes only when
every square is destroyed at this
/ particular time Square pickers
must begin at one side Of the field
tand take rows as they come and as
spdni as possible after the squares
are removed the application of
peison should be made Both OPP
[eratfdns can be carried on togeth-
ter successfully by picking squares
until late in the afternoon and then
Elet;4 the poisoning begin over this
! picked area. Calcium arsenate
must; be used. Paris Green and
! Lendon Purple should never be
used ON plants.
| Animals working in the fields
lten days after poisoning should be
lmuzzIed and operators should
wash face and hands. using plenty
| of Isoap. A duster must be used
that is hand power. not horse
! power, and strong enough to force
! powder into the folds Of the bud.
THE weeVils in the fields deprived
Iof squares will attack the terminal
/ buds in a great host, many Of
them going inside the folds. This
{ poisoning. therefore, is directed
only. at the tA ninal buds. and if
I've KIN the weevils in the squares
land the weeviis that are eating the
terminal buds. why we have de-
strnYed the weevil population of
the feid-hibernation, Of course,
! having at this time ali ceased. It
!, is useless, therefore. to scatter poi
son over the whole field. Five to
seven pounds OF calcium arsenate
IS: all that will be necessary per
acre. Operator must walk slowly
land take pains to force the poison
into the small bunch Of tender
leaves at the tip Of the plant. APP
ply when there is no wind and ear
/ II morning and late afternoon. 1t
[ is best that there be dew on the
plants, but dew has nothing to
ide with the poisoning under the
Smith method of the weeviI. The
insect is poisored only by eating
the tender foliage and buds to
which the poison has been applied
Work Of this nature cannot be
done well at night, but only late
/, in i the afternoon or early in the
morning. It was found that prae-
iteally all weevils are killed with
Vim three days after the poison is
applied.
The Smith method cost is so
small, something like s1.25 per
acre, that it can be used on pooc
land. whereas the usual busting
methods. seven or eight applica-
tons, cannot be used except on the
richer lands. The Smith method is
for upland cotton.
> In the past few years we have
found that we can kill the winter
weeyil by poisoning the terminal
bud. The Smith method, however,
waits, until emergence from hiber-
nation has been completed: It is
verya easy to literally fill this
terminal bud with a suitable poi
son by means Of a good dust gun.