Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-07-01
ATLANTA MAN WINS PRIZE
TN NATIONAL CONTEST ON
CONTROL OF BOIL WEEVIL
Scientific Production Meth
DDS Will Enable South to
Maintain Its Leadership in
Cotton Industry

j
An Atlanta man, G. A. Whittle,
editorial manager of the Southern
Fertilizer association, GIG Rhodes
building, was awarded the second
prize of $3.50 for the best essay on
methods of combating the boil
weevil menace in the national com
petition recently conducted by the
Hibernia Bank & Trust Co., of New
Orleans.
Hundreds of essays were submit
ted in the contest from all sections
of the cotton belt, and newspapers.
cotton organizations and business
associations co-operated in making
it a success. The competition began
on February Is and closed March Is,
three months being required by the
judges to reach a decision.
Rules which governed the contest
provided that the essays not exceed
1000 words, and that the winners
plans become the property of the
public to be used for the benefit of
cotton growers throughout the
south.
Charles E. Speed, of Tallulah, La,
was adjudged first prize winner and
awarded $3.50, with an essay in
which he declared that the boil
weevil could hest be combated by
the use of good and scientific farm
ing methods and poisoning by cal
cium arsenate.
Eight Important Points
He stressed eight points of para.
mount importance in cotton produc-
ton, viz: fertile soils, good drainage
well prepared seed beds, early plant
ing, early varieties, good cultivation,
good stands and poisoning. He de-
clared that the cotton planter who
attended carefully to these require
ments could raise about as success
full q cotton crop under WeeVll condl
lions as under normal conditions.
Others whose essays on boil Weevll
control won prizes were Mr.. Whittle
second prize; II. M. Cottrell, Little
Rock, third prize, $50; j. M. Napier,
Darlington, 6. c., fourth prize, $50
and Franch c.. Ward, Athens, Ga
fifth prize, $40.
Mr.. White, a former teacher in
the state agricultural college al
Athens, is widely known throughout
the south, and is considered an au,
thority on raising cotton under boil
weevil conditions. At present he
holds the post of editorial manager
Of the Southern Fertilizer assocla'
ton.
Mr.. Whites Essay
His second prize winning essay
follows in full:
UNLESS the south successfully
controls the boil weevil it will lose
it's supremacy in cotton production
combating boil weevils, of course
adds expense to cotton production
and the question logically arises
Can this added expense be met So a.
to leave the farmer Suft1clent pfoIll
to encourage him to keep on grow
ing cotton?
I'm two ways this added expense
may be offset, by high prices Tor
cotton and by greater efficiency IN
producing the crop.
In considering the possibilities OF
making the world pay for WeeVli
loss with higher prices, there is the
fact to be faced that the south does
not have a monopoly on cotton pro
duction: therefore, it can not MAKE
the world pay for WeeVl losses. IN
deed. the remainder of cotton grow
inc areas of the world, undisturbed
bv boil weevils, will find Ill hlgh
prices an incentive to challenge the
supremacy Of the southern states In
cotton production.
Efficiency of Production
"While it is probable that the
price of cotton will remain perma'
nently on a higher level than the
average price before the World war
and to that extent help to meet boil
weevil expense, the most dependable
means for taking care of the eX
pense entailed by the boil weevll
will be found in greater efficiency
in cotton production.
Among the means Of promoting
efficiency in cotton growing is that
afforded by increasing the acre
yields. 1t requires no more seed
no more labor of cultivation, nor ex
pense in poisoning boil weevils tc
care for an acre yielding a bale oil
cotton than for an acre yielding one
fourth of a bale. But there is, OF
course, a great difference in the
amount of cost each pound of cot
ton carries when raised on the high
and the low producing acre. 80
viously then, the greater the ylelc
per acre the greater the opportunity
to make a profit. More per acre
rather than more acreage IS econom
ically sound as a boil weevil meas
ure.
ITO get greater producing power
in an acre requires good soil, intel
lisent. liberal fertilization, high
yielding seed of desirable varieties
and thorough cultivation, which we
will discuss more in detail else
where.
Another means Of reducing the
cost of a pound of cotton is in the
use of labor saving machinery. In
some of the cultural operations, the
capacity of man and horse labor can
be doubled in this way.
THE boil weevil can be controlled
effectively by combining two gen
eral methods which may be designat
ed as direct and indirect attacks.
1.-The indirect attack consists oil
pushing the crop ahead Of the boil
weevil so that as many bolls as pos
sible will be out of danger before
weeVils become numerous enough tC
do serious damage. Not until the
second or third generation is hatch
ed out are there enough weevils
as a rule, to take more of the fruit
of the cotton than naturally sheds
1t requires from AZ to so days from
the first squares till the second gen.
Grafton of weevils appear. In this
AZ to so days lies an opportunity OF
setting a part of the crop that will
beat the boil weevil to it, This
is why so much stress is laid on
earliness in growing cotton under
boil weeVil conditions.
Early Fruiting