The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1922-09-21
Raising Cotton Under
::WeeuiZ Conditions

from approximately fifty different
counties Of Georgia today made pill
grimage to the farm of c. R. Fltz-
patrick, prominent Warren county
PLANTED and business man, to see with
their own eyes King Cotton success
fully produced under boil weevil con-
ditions. The Fitzpatrick plantation,
which comprises around thousand
acres of gravel sandyloam soil, is
hardly more than mile from this
town. Just now in the neighborhood
of seven hundred acres of this land is
ripe with mantle of white that re-
minds one of the real cotton produc-
ing days before the advent OF the
dread boil weevil in this section OF
the state.
From far and near, even from the
Savannah near the coast to the loot
hills of the Blue Ridge, farmers came
to witness this complete victory over
their arch enemy whose devastatlons
has taken a sickening toll during the
past few years. They saw probably
more than they expected and every
man of them left yesterday afternoon
for his home fully convinced that the
boil weevil can be out-done and that
Georgia can, by application Of the
proper methods of warfare, return
to a successful and profitable pro-
.duction of it's staple crop.
Early in the day automobiles be-
gan arriving here, some parties COM
ing from such distance that the
trip could not be made in one day.
There were farmers present from
Canton, located in the extreme north
eastern part of the state, and there
were farmers from Valdosta and
Cordele in the extreme southern
part. There was no definite way to
determine the number Of counties
represented, but it was easy to see
by the interest that had drawn farm
ers from such distances that Georgia
cotton growers are becoming welded
together into a solid front against
the most aggressive pest that has
ever beset the great money crop OF
the southland.
Inspection Begins.
At 12 O'Clock the long line of au-
tomobiles, headed by a machine that
carried Mr.. Fitzpatrick and members
Of the state board of entomology,
left Warrenton for the Fitzpatrick
cotton plantation. After five min
utes' ride the first stop was made at
one of the broad fields of cotton that
has attracted the attention of the en-
tire state. Negroes were at work in
the field which was literally white.
The weed was between knee and
waist-high. There was a prolific Sec
,ond crop of matured bolls, extra large
and we'll developed, apparently hardy
enough to withstand even the cunning
bill of boil weevil. Men experience
ed in growing cotton for many years
agreed that the total yield in this
field would be one thousand pounds
or more of seed cotton per acre. This
field lay alongside the Macon high
way. The party then continued into
the very heart of the plantation and
found the crop to. be almost as good
in most instances. 1t was plain that
there were no prize patches and that
the yield was practically uniform.
One stalk taken from the interior OF
the farm had "a bolls on it, FL open
and 3 unopen. The boil, as general
rule, was full and the fiber Of good
length. There were few scrub bolls,
either opened or unopened.
There was every indication that
the boil weevil had been present. The
ton crop had suffered considerably
from his ravages and grubs could be
found Of the form stage. Adult
rweevils were present, too, because
one was found on the coat of mem
ber Of the party, but the weevll had
been whipped and the piles of cotton
in the fields already picked and the
canogy. of it on the stalks was even
greater proof that he had been out
stripped in a desperate fight to the
finish.
t;,rht the Weevil.
NFr. F;tzrG trick says that any farm
er an accomplish what he has in
growing cotton if he will only fight
the weayil. He attributes his success
to that sact entirely, saying that he
started artcr the weevils early, kept
it ~ consi~'ently according to the in
e,,,-,,fir,, '-.rpisbo1 hv tho state