Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-07-10
By EDWIN CAMP

ton COHuitlOn was ~ pei ScAS
of normal.
This was the poorest in the
south, per cent lower than
South Carolina or Arkansas; II
per cent lower than Alabama
and 81 per cent lower than Tex
az.
Condition percentage of Sc In
dicates Georgia will produce
about 103 pounds OF lint cotton
per acre and little more than
last years crop of $4,000.
which was the smallest yield
in modern times.
That is not the worst OF it.
The official statement said:
''Weevil infestation is so per
cent greater than last year and
worse than this state has ever
seen; the daily register in use
in the Georgia office shows the
condition to be falling from 1-3
TO IL of a point a day"
In short, it is bad and is get
ting worse.
The season has been back
ward and wet. But cotton can
be raised in Georgia this year,
If THE WEEVIL IS CON-
iROLLED.
The official statement was
that the condition in Burke
county was SO per cent of nor
mal-rhree per cent below the
STATE average. Yet l saw III
Burke county acre after acre Of
cotton fields that promised to
produce better than a. bale to
the aCre-if the weevil is kept
in subsection. Also [ saw fields
that will not produce a spool
Of thread to the acre.
With those VINO have a fair
stand in spite of the bad sea-
son, the problem rests solely on
the boil weeVil.
L went down to Burke coun-
ty, once the banner cotton
county of the state for many
years-a county which not
only produced the greatest
number of bales a season, but
which also produced the great
est average amount of cotton
per acre-to see what is being
done to combat the boil Weevil.
L went primarily at the invita-
ton of the promoters Of Hills
mixture, but it was understood
not even the obligation Of cour.
tesy would prevail in what I
should write.
[ am not farmer nor an en-
tomologist. l went only as a re-
porter to see what l could see
with my own eyes and to ask
questions. The rest of this ar
ticle is a plain narration of
things seen and words heard.
There is no attempt in it to suS-
tain an opinion, for L had none,
or to prove a case, for 1 was no.
body's advocate. 1t is as straight
way a piece Of reporting as I
am capable of.
In Waynesboro [ met Frank
Palmer, mayor of that city. |
had heard of him often. Mr..
Palmer has been in various
lines of business; successful in
all. I am told. One man told me,
Frank is a purity sharp trader;
he's smart. and as square as a
die" Another man told me Mr..
Palmer could be mayor of
Waynesboro as long as he de-
sired; it seems he is exceptionally
popular in a community where
most people like each other
''Have you any cotton this
year?" 1 asked.
-Four hundred acres" he said.
'How is it doing?"
Season late; it's pretty
spotty. Some Of it's washed out
mighty bad. But 1 am expect
ing a good crop"
amy weevil infestatiOn?"
"They are under perfect con-
troll"
What are you using?
''Hills Mixture"
''HaVe you tested it?"
II have applied it four times
this year, ten days apart. I had
WeeVilS. / have none now. Be-
fore L found that Hills Mixture
would control the WeeviI, l went
to Dozier Hill and offered to rent
him my farm if he would pay
only the taxes on it. He said
[ had a good farm and it would
be a good trade for him, but
that he wanted me to try his
stuff on my cotton before he
would take me up. l tried it.
1t worked. I bought 500 acres
more land last winter and have
doubled my cotton acreage this
year. Does that tell you what
1 think his stuff will do for the
weevil?"
Have you any financial in
terest in Mr.. Hills company"
NO"
care you beholden to him or
Frank Barrett?"
mo"
My party drove over to Cough,
some fifteen miles south of
Waynesboro and the station
nearest to perhaps the best cot
ton land in Burke county. A
furlong north of the town,
there was the prettiest patch of
cotton I saw during the day. 1t
was Of between two and three
acres and irregular in shape;
bounded on the south and south
east by thicket and woods; on
the north by a hedge and corn
field; on the west by the big
road, with the inevitable hedge
growth. There was water in the
woods. The environment fur
nished fine winter quarters for
the weevil.
The cotton was superb, over
knee-high and heavily fruited.
/ searched for half an hour and
could find neither WeeVils nor
yelloWed squares, though I
found three or four which had
been punctured by a small green
worm which is not uncommon in
that territory and which does a
little damage. There had been
weevils in the field early in the
season. This was obvious be-
cause many of the stalks had
been "budded," as they say when
weevils appear in a field. Be-
fore the squares form, they
climb to the top of the stalk and
puncture the bud of the plant.
This operation causes the plant
to change the form of its fur
Their growth. Instead of the