San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1924-03-02
|DELAY ACTION
I. ON RAIL SALE
FOR FEW DAYS
Manufacturer Association
Will Meet Gulf Coast
President.
THEY FAVOR 1T
Chamber of Commerce Op-
posed to Sale and
Will Fight.
THEY FAVOR 1T

Charles n. Alvord, county agricul
tural agent for the San Antonio Cham
Der of Commerce, has recently con
Quoted a thorough investigation of thu
boil weevil situation in Southwes
Texas, relative to the best time fol
planting cotton. Mr.. Alvord has col
lected data from all reliable sources
including facts collected by the U. 5
Department of Agriculture, and ex
periences of farmers considered to be
the best cotton growers in the state
and he has found that early crops have
the best chance TO resist and escape
the boil weevil pestilence.
According TO Mr.. Alvord, recent
agitation of the question through news
papers of Southwest Texas has con-
WINGED many people that there is a
possibility of starving the boil weevil
, by delaying the planting of cotton.
Some advocates of this method have
even divided the state into districts,
Mr.. Alyord stated. and have suggested
that the state prohibit the planting OF
cotton in those districts before a def
mite time.
Rearding the subject Of weevil con-
troll, Mr.. Alvord stated:
Scientific invetigation Of the habits
of boil weevil indicate that their period
Of emergence from Information extends
over such a long period, into the sum-
mer months, that it is practically i'm
possible TO determine any definite date
when one can positively believe that
the weevil are out of Information.
Practical farmers who have studied
the habits of weevil in their fields,
have long ago determined that late
4 planted cotton is likely to suffer heavy
infection and damage.
Drought of 1915.
II recall one season when late plant
ing was forced on Southwest Texas
farmers, during the drought of 1916.
. Cotton seed planted in March failed
TO sprout, in the coast country north
of Corpus Christi, and remained DOR
mant in the ground until the first rain,
which occurred June 20. Improbable
as it may seem, thousands of acres OF
cotton sprouted and made good
stand, and with the help of seasonablC
rains during The following months, at
tanned rapid growth. Plants were full
of squares by the middle of August
and began to show blossoms, but abou
that time came the heaviest infection
of boil weevil that l have ever seeI
DIN that district. and there was prac
tically no cotton picked in San Pa
tricio or Nueces counties except or
moist fields that had been planted in
feed the year before, where plants
through early preparation had germ
mated early in the season.
Another reason why this system OF
late planting is never successful, &C.
cording to Mr.. Alvord. is the fact our
public policy of every man for him
self would prevent universal applica-
ton of the late planting rule, thus
tending to decrease any results that
might otherwise be gained.
my observations prove that in the
same communities and under the same
conditions, some farmers will make a
higher yield than others, and / be-
lieve that where one county excells
the other from year to year, it is due
as much to good farming as it is to soil,
climate or season." Mr.. Alvord said.
This applies especially to boil wee
vii conditions. for men who success
fully produce cotton in spite Of insect
pests, must necessarily know how to
combat the weevil in such a way that
their damage is reduced to a mini
num-"
When They Plant.
With this in mind, Mr.. Alvord re.
Gently made an extensive study OF
statewide conditions, seeking the names
of farmers whose yield from year to
year proclaimed them to be success
full growers.
"The questions I asked them re
varIaI rnifnr,, tspoa 10
the method of preparing the land
how close together the rows should
be; how thick n stand could b. lef'
in the rows; end what method should
be used in cultivating the crop, t.
keep it free from weeds" Mr.. AlvOrt
said. 81 was also interested in find
ing to what extent commercial fertili
gers were being used in the state"
Mr.. Alvord intends to discuss a
some future time the entire informa
ton he gained from this survey. bu
at present he confined his remarks {,
the timely subject of planting cotton
STARRING in the territory south o
San Antonio, I find the consensus o
opinion to be that in the Corpus Chris
ii territory, March l to 20 i tn
average date, while in the vicinity O
Kennedy. planting is delayed unit
March 20, and not later than Apri
1. A successful farmer of Atascos
county stated that he planted as earl
as possible after the danger of fros
and l believe that this is the guild
; followed by the majority of success
full cotton producers, Mr.. Alvord SAID
I'm Central Texas. April seems TO
the popular date; in the neighborhoo