The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-08-26
COTTON HURT BY. RAIN, BULL WEEVIL AND ARMY WORM
Prospective Yield Cut At Least Half In Many
 Sections

ClAl. J--Ihe cotton crop Tn the CCOSd valley section has been seriously in- jured during the past two weeks by too much rain, boil weevils, leaf worms and other insects. On Au gust 1 no finer prospect was ever seen in this section with the excep- tion of the lateness of the cotton plant. The plants were tf good size with about one-third Of crop in boil and loaded down with blooms and squares. The plants were in healthy growing condition. About two weeks ago too much moisture came and continued, weevils, wtrms ana ether insects have prevented the plants setting any more fruit.
 This section comprising Shelby, St. Clair and Talladega counties will not make as much cotton as it did last year including a much increased fertilizer. In many instances 1t will take 10. acres to make bale. The general average will be from 3 to 5 acres to the bale.
 The corn and hay crops of tho val ley are exceptionally fine but the acreage is light, being about two- thirds Ct the normal acreage. The farmers of this section made a se- rious mistake in increasing their cotton acreage and decreasing their aCAcdSG OI lGGQ CIOpSs HIS lallQit of the cotton crop is going to put many people in a mighty bad fix.
 FIGHT ARMY WORM
 The farmers have been using he- roic efforts the past week to kill the army worm. The merchants have been cooperating with them. One merchant ordered 12h tons of cal cium arsenate by express, that there might be no delay in poisoning the cotton.
 The frequent rains have been handicap, but few days of sun Ihine has made them hopeful that he poison will be mora effective.
 BOIL wEEVIL RAVENoUs
 GOODWATER, Ala, August 25.-| Special. )--The boil weevil is now rayaging the cotton crops of Coosa c2unty, and, if it continues it's work for the next 30 days, not more than One-third of normal crop will be made. Prospects were bright for a Eormal crop until few days ago. Musn wet weather set in and the WeeWl began to do Its deadly work. cry little damage has been done so lar by the army worms, but their ' 1 esence has been reported in small Enambers over the county, but with on.y three. weeks for the real tnva- asion to take place little damage will Rhen result, as it will be too late for their svenK to injure the crop much.
 COTTON DETERIORATING
 GEORGIANA, Ala, August 25-. Special Leased Wire. )--The exces- sive rains of the last few days have caused cotton to deteriorate very fast. Nearly all squares are now falling off and blooms are scarce. The pink worms are destroying many of the young bolls. The crop is not more than 45 per cent normal. Some farmers report a crop of not more than 15 per cent normal.
 LIMESTONE OPTIMISTIC
 ATHENS. Ala, August 25.-The business men of Athens, and the farmers over the county are greatly relieved this week to know that the cotton leaf worm that mad dur ing the ten days pricI to the present week, threatened the entire dcStruc- tion of the cotton crop in m any soc lions of the county, had been brought under control. Even though many farmers had some loss from the above cause, rhe damage as a whole is. oomparatively light and the fear of the return of the worm is not so great as would have been, had not the cotton growers of the coun- ty learned how they could so easily and effectively destroy the worm py using calciuTa arsenate
 The best authorities of the county Nare under the impression that the present outlook justiTies an estimate of between 25,OO0 and 30,000 bales of cotton for Limestone this year, which will be a bigger crop than was gathered last year,
 The corn crop has so materially irnproved during the past month that there is no longer the least anxiety over the gathering of an average corn crop this year.
 SEE 40 PER CENT CROP
 AKRON. Ala, August 25.-The farmers have commenced to pick some cotton in this vicinity although the rain, boil weevil and aEmy worm have not let much of the staple for the man who tills the soil Some are very doubtful of as muah as 70 percent of the crop, although there are a few who will perhaps get more. In two weeks time the crop wil he moving in considerable quan- tity and the story can best be told as far as the crop is concerned, as the weeks go rolling, by
 roo MUCH RAIN REPORTED
 ANDALUSIA, Ala, August 25,- (Specia) )-Con-i -inual rains through out this week, and with very few
  lsuilng in most sections of this coun- N. have caused a gloom to be cast Soyer the agricultural interests which /in turn has eNerted tremendous in- fluenee on business conditions as a whole. Two bales of cottor were sold in Covington county last Saturday, enc at Andalusia and one at Orn. More cotton is ready for picking, but steady rains every day during the eek halted the picking almost all tesrcther. according to statements fis.m several prominent farmers in tns county.
 .wIlTUNPKA, Ala. August 2s-' ~cial Cotton is opering very .l ..Iv in this section due to the
 aous rains and cloudy weather,
 1amage of the boil weevil and tlac wet weather is becoming more Id more apparent as the picking season approaches. It is reported that large numbers of grown bolls will be found that are ruined by the weevil. These bolls' are very soft and can be easily detected.
 MRS. ROY NOLEN
 SULLIGENT, Ala. August 25.- (Snecial 1-k death of unusual pathos