Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1924-09-04
Cotton Poisoning
Methods

Results of cotton poisoning
tests made by the Georgia Coast
al Plain Experimental station at
Triton in 1923 are contained in
a bulletin just issued by that
institution. These tests included
a comparison of calcium arse
nate dust, homemade syrup
mixture, Hills Mixture and the
Florida method.
The results of the test show
that best results were obtained
from the homemade syrup mix
ture, COL pounds of seed cotton
being secured at a cost of $5.50
per acre, for nine applications,
as compared with $50 pounds at
a cost of 1898 for nine applica-
tons of Hills Mixture; 400
pounds at $3.50 for dust.
A table detailing costs and
results is as follows:
Homemade Mixture - col
pounds seed cotton, $270 labor
cost; $3.50 for nine applications
of poison; total $3.50.
HIPS Mixture $50 pounds,
$2.70 labor; 1898 for poison, 9
applications; total $12.83.
Calcium Arsenate Dust-499
pounds; $1.35 for labor and
$7.15 for poison; total $3.50.
Where No Poison Used-110
pounds of seed cotton.
Florida Method-67 pounds of
cotton; $3.50 for labor and ST.
for poison; total $3.50.
Due to the excessive rainfall
and continuous cloudy weather
during May and June, and in
fact throughout the growing pc
Rod, it was necessary to make
nine applications each Of cal
cium arsenate dust, homemade
syrup mixture and Hills Mix
ture, the bulletin states. These
applications were made at APP
proxinately eight-day intervals
over a period of 62 days, be-
ginning May 10th just before
the appearance of squares, and
extending through July It'll.
Six of the nine applications were
effective. but three were washed
off by rains, states the bulletin.
On the area receiving the cal
cium arsenate dust the first APP
plications were made to the
small cotton by shaking the dust
from a tin cup having cheese
cloth bottom. The later appli-
cations on the larger cotton
plants were made with a dust
gun. The homemade syrup
mixture was made up Of one gall
lon of table syrup, 3 gallons of
water and 3 pounds of calcium
arsenate and W applied
throughout the season with
hand mop. The Hills Mixture
was applied with a hand mop in
the same manner as the home
made mixture. The area treat
ed according to the Florida
Method was stripped of squares
on June 18th, and one applica-
ton of the arsenate-syrup mix
ture made up of one gallon of
syrup, one-half gallon of water
and two pounds of calcium
arsenate was made Immediately
after removing the squares.
The records as outlined in the
bulletin show the total yield to
be greatest from the area receiv-
ing the Nomenclature. This
was doubtless due to the sweet
ened poison adhering better to
the young cotton plants during
the excessive rainy period. 1t
was noted from careful obser-
vations that the sweetened poi
sons resulted in better bottom
crop of bolls, but it was notice.
able that after the cotton reach
ed the bushy stage and began to
bloom that the calcium arsenate
in the dust form resulted in bet
ter control. 1t is believed,
therefore, from the one year s
results, that the combination
method of poisoning young cot
ton with the homemade syrup
mixture and the larger cotton
with the calcium arsenate dust
should prove of much value as
a control measure, says the bull
letin. The results would indi-
cate that the homemade syrup
mixture should be first applied
at time just before the squares
appear and at weekly or ten
day intervals, depending on
weather conditions. until the
appearance of the first blooms.
Afterwards the calcium arsenate
in the dust form should be used
at such times as will be neces-
sary to keep the weevils under
control.