San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1924-03-23
START FIGHT
ON WEEv|L To
SAVE COTTON
Claim a Million Dollars
Saved by Campaign
Last Year.
ALV0RD GIVES DATA
lnshucts Farmers How to
Combat and Fore.
stall Pest.
ALVORD GIVES DATA

lion dollars in excess of the usua
amount realized from the cotton croI
in this county. in 1923, the agricul
tu-al department of the San Antonio
Chamber of Commerce will conduct il
1924 as vigorous a campaign agains;
boil weevl as it has directed for sew.
eral years past. according to Charles
81. Alvord, county agricultural agent
During the last four months, the at
tention of the department was direct
ed 10 the cotton fields, in an effort to
clean them so thoroughly that boil
weevil would be destroyed; but now
that spring is here, and cotton is be-
ing planted, the fight will be convert
cd into an effort to destroy the Vice.
vii as they emerge from their period
OF bibernation to the surface of the
ground and on the young plants.
in sections where boil weevils are
plentiful, the production of cotton is
In reality a race between the insect
and the plant" Mr.. Alvord stated.
THAT is why this department has adj
vocated early crops in this section,
for we have found that the early de
gtruction of the weevil in the field
ia the most effective means of eradi-
cation. When the weevil first emerges
from his liberation, he is very hun
Cry, and as cotton is the only plant
on which he will feed. he seeks the
cotton fields and attacks the tender
est plants.
Sends Instructions to Farmers.
The point of attack is very often
Ska %ar,,,.ra1 h,tI rrhfeh OF thtc
IL the best food for the insect pest.
As the weevil cannot begin to breed
until the cotton begins to make
be poisoned, caught or killed in some
fashion before squares appear. The
early determination of weevil will de-
crease the damage done by them to
the mature plant at least several hun
dred fold, as each pair of weevl will
probably lay from 80 to $50 eggs
that will hatch after they have been
deposited in the squares"
Letters have been sent to farmers
Of Bexar county, offering some sug-
gestiOn about killing weevils during
the early spring. The first simple
instructions include the following adj
vice: l. Bed your cotton land and
cultivate these beds so that the winter
weeds will be killed; 2. Do not plant
until the ground is warm; 3. Drag
the beds down TO flatten them a lit.
tie, then plant on top and cover with
shallow layer of Soil; 4. Use plenty
of seed to insure a good stand-nos
less than twenty pounds of seed to
the acre.
Use Calcium Arsenate.
Suggestions were sent to the farm
ers of this county by the agricultural
department prior to the later instruc-
tons, telling them to thoroughly clean
and burn their fields and bitches. In
spite of this work of extinction, how
ever, some weevils will be bound to
live until spring, as their places of hi
bernation are so numerous and often
are inaccessible. In order 10 kill
these insects when they first appear
on the young cotton plants, Mr.. Al
word has prepared a remedy that is
scheduled TO rid BeIar county fields
of the majority of its dangerous lit
tie enemies.
Mr.. Alyord advocates the use of
calcium arsenate every four or five
days during the spring season, applied
to the plants either by using a blow
gun. or by shaking the poison from a
sack. Paris Green must never be
used, according to Mr.. Alvord, as it
burns the tender plants.
A solution of calcium arsenate may
be used in the following way: Mix
five pounds Of calcium arsenate, five
gallons of water, and five gallons OF
black strap molasses. Apply this
sweetened mixture to the plants with
a brush made Of corn husks, tied to
4 broom handle.
Another method suggested by Mr.
Alvord is to mix five pounds Of cal
cium arsenate with so gallons of wa.
ter, and apply this in the form of q
fine mist. A large spray pump may
be used for this, attached to barrel
and mounted on a cart. In this way
as many as five rows can be covered
at one time.
What One Laredo Farmer Did.
AOne farmer told me that he made
nearly bale OF cotton to the acre ,oi
his field near Karedo. last year, anC
be attributed his success to using poi
son before the weevil had time t,
breed in the squares on the plants. >
Mr.. Alvord stated. ain past years
the weevil has been getting nearly
Hdll our crop. II farmers VIII coon
crate with persons who are trying t.
eradicate this evil to Texas prospect
ty. the weevil triumph in the stat
would be short lived"
Mr.. Alyord is of the opinion tina
fertilizers can be used in Bexar coun
ty. on cotton fields to hasten the de
veloDment of the. crop.
"On some SOIL" Mr.. Alvord stated
"the tendency of the plants is TO grow
too large and produce very little fruit
Fertilizers will relieve this condition
Black land requires more phosphori
acid and less potash than clay O
sandy land. The best formula f.
black land is mixture Of 10 pc
cent phosphoric acid. per cent N
trogen. and per cent potash. Thi
can be purchased from dealers. III
der Formula 1914. Fertilizers shout
he applied in the beds before the scr
is PLANTED. at the rate Of about i
TO 200 pounds per acre"
Under boil weevil conditions. fe,
tilizers should be used in order {
secure early crops. Mr.. A,vord sta
ed. The early fruit is more likely I
escape weevil than the fruit of late