Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1922-07-19
DIsAGREEs WITH MIR. BRIGGS.
Former Oconeenn Writes Georgians
Use tho Swectened POisons.

louisville, Ga, July z, 1922.
Editor Keowee Courier:
l noticed in The Keowee Courier
Of June 2Sth two articles on the con-
troll Of the cotton boil weevils-one
by the county agent Of Oconee ad-
vocating the busting with calcium
nrscnate and advising against the
application Of molasses and calcium
arsenate; the other article by David
r. Coker, Of Hartsville, S. c., ad-
vising the farmers to use the mo-
lasses-calcium arsenate treatment.
The use OF molasscs with calcium
ersenate was originated by DoZ!er
Hill. Of Cough, Ga, only few miles
from our location here. / have talk
cd with Mr.. Hill and many other
farmers, and all agree that the use
Of molasses with the calcium arsen-
ate is an absolute success, provided
no heavy rains wash the poisoned
sweet from the cotton plant and pre-
vent its becoming effective. Last
year our cotton fields were literally
full Of weevils when the cotton was
small, and after few applications
of the molasses and calcium arsen-
ate the weevils almost entirely dis
appear ed. Heavy rains set in, how
ever, and no poison could be kept
even for a single night on the cotton
plants. and the weevil got in his
work. busting, needless to say, was
still more ineffective.
The theory Of the busting method
is that the weevil drinks the dew
from the cotton plant that contains
the calcium arsenate. The theory OF
the molasses-calcium arsenate treat
ment is that the weevil will drink
dew also, be attracted by the sweet
and that the sticky substance with
stands the rain more readily than
the dust. Every advantage is with
the molasses treatment.
Your county agent tells the farm
ers that 1.-The information that have
is that the molasses mixture and
other sweetencd poisons have been
tried all along the route from Texas
eastward in newly infested territory"
etc. Now, this is an astounding as
sertion in view Of the fact that last
year was the first year that the mo-
lasscs treatment was announced by
Mr.. Hill, and it was then that the
United States Department of Agri-
culture sent their experts to observe
the effect of the sweetend poison.
Up to this time nothing had been
found that could tempt the weevil to
cat, and all efforts were directed to
poison his source Of drinking water.
have never heard farmer who
has tried both methods say that the
molasses-arsenate treatment is not
the most effective of the two.
1t is considerably less expensive,
and does not require expensive dust
ing machines that easily wear out
only stick and a rag being neces-
sary for its application. 1t also re-
quires less Of the poison 1t is also
easier to apply. 1t poisons the wee
wills source of food as we'll as his
source Of drink. The sticky nature
Of the substance holds it on the plant
much longer than the dust.
After eight years In wcevil-infest-
ed territory I am very -dcsirous to
help the farmers Of my home county,
Oconee, with the result OF my OBJ
servations. ! have followed the
weevil from Alabama to South Caro-
lima in my business in Georgia, and
the molasses-calcium arsenate treat
ment is the only method that | have
seen employed that is in the least
effective. If any one is desirous OF
helping the farmer, why shouldn't
ko advise them to try method Of
control that such man as David r.
Coker, of your State, says is a sue
cess-especiTlly when the expert
mcnt can be made as the cost Of
twenty cents?
| pass this information along for
what it Is worth.
Very truly yours,
"