The Union daily times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1918-current, 1922-02-14
Sweetensd Poisons
The Carefully Conducted Expert
ments Show no Real Merit.

Clemson College, Feb. 10.-That So
called binders, stickers, and spreaders
have no material merit In making
poison spray stick to the cotton
plant; that no material advantage
seems yet to have been secured by the
use of sweetened poisons in carefully
conducted experiments; and that cal
cium arsenate in dust form after
careful study of conditions and re-
quirements for poisoning is advisable
these sum up the recommendations
Of the entomologists, says Prof. A.
F. Conradi, in statement on the
much discussed subject of sweetened
poisons for boil weevil control
Little baby Poison Sweet" was
born In Texas, says Prof. Conradi,
shortly after the weevil crossed the
Rio Grande in 1892. 1t could not
thrive there and had to wander east
ward with the weevil, because only
the residents in newly infested ter
ritory would entertain it. South
Carolina is entertaining it now.
Numerous formulas and receipts
for making sweetened poisons for
boil weevil control are being recon-
mended and number of commercial
brands of sweetened liquid poisons
are appearing on the market. Equal
ly numerous devices are put forward
for aplyping these liquids and pastes
Cafphu IN,
with some of these formulas include
"sticker" and "secret binder" which
convey the impression that these
mysterious discoveries will cause the
material to stick to the plant and
remain good until eaten by the wee
vii. Whether the poison is applied as
spray or as dust the rate of de-
composition goes forward in the
same manner and as a weevil poison
it's decomposition is complete in
about four days.
Binders and spreaders are in use
by entomologists and serve useful
purpose under certain conditions in
binding the spray ingredients and
giving body to the spray, but they
have no material merit in making
the spray stick to the plant. The
fundamental condition that makes the
spray or powder stick to the plant is
fineness, and the finely divided spray
or dust properly applied has most
effective sticking power.
a, L. u
mess of substance by pouring it
from a sprinkling pot have no SEM
blance whatever to natural rain
fall where the drops travel downward
hundreds of feet before they strike
the plant.
Only Carefully Conducted Tests
Worthy of Attention.
No material advantage has yet
been secured from the use of sweet
ened poison in carefully conducted
experiment throughout the last %
years, exclpt apparently IN one I'M
sSarce wHsrN appned to very young
plants in hot, dry weather, which by
itself would have little significance.
In this experiment the weather was
against the weevil, and as no evi-
dence' has been secured 80 far that
the weevil is attracted by any sweet,
it may be assumed that the weevil
was attracted by the droplets of
moisture.
Some one says: "John Brown triec
it and made bale to an acre." Was
it checked? How did he know that
the sweetened poison was the de
termining factor in making his crop?
Bill Grimes tired it and got nothing.
John Brown also says he treated his
seed with sulphur and made a crop.
Now would you believe this just be-
cause John Brown said so? Sam
Stokes says the weevil lives in the
roots of cookie bur. Now this not so,
but would you swallow it just be-
cause Sam says SO?
Our recommendation are based al
together on the results secured from
carefully conducted experiments re-
gardless of who made them provided
it was a qualified experimenter who
made provisions for determining by
checks the value Of the various fac
tors that entered into the problem.
Careful Study of the Situation
Advised.
In our recent office letter, "Boll
Weevil Poisoning in 1922" we set
forth as accurately as we could the
conditions under which poisoning
may be expected to pay. We confine
ourselves to the use of calcium ar
senate in dust form, on account of
tho available records of positive re-
suits and also on account of the COM
parative economy in time and labor.
We recommend that e{ery farmer
who intends to use poison obtain i'm
mediately full Information in regard
to the use Of poison, as well as dust
ing machines, and study the problem
with the greatest care and effort. A
careful study of the method and con-