Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-06-21
FARM EDUCATION
BY DIR. ANDREW M. SOULE

are properly cared for may be used
successfully for several years, and,
in the end, they do not represent as
large an investment as some may
have been led 10 conclude.
Covering up the cotton plant with
heavy, white cloud of calcium ar.
senate wastes this material and is
not nearly so effective in destroy.
ing the weevil as the method of
procedure advised above. The Wee
vii drinks a good deal of the poison
he obtains. He is fond of dew.
From two to four applications of
dust at intervals of four days must
be made. Sometimes two concen-
trated treatments of the field at in
tervais of two or more weeks will
be sufficient to properly protect the
crop from the blooming period to
maturity. In rainy seasons, three
to four concentrated applications
may be necessary. Much of the dust
ing has been ineffectiveIy accom-
plishcd in the past. Many farmers
started their treatments too late. or
hey gave up the fight too soon.
The 300 600 bales of cotton which
we failed to harvest in Georgia las
year were { lost chiefly because of
the ineffectiveness Of our busting
procedure. The weevil is a PERM
cious insect. The season of his main
attack is variable. He must be
watched day and night for period
OF about six weeks. If this is done
and calcium arsenate properly ap-
piled as a dust spray, we can make
from one-half to one bale of cotton
per acre as we'll as in the days pre-
vious to his advent
1t will take about seven pounds
OF calcium arsenate per application
per acre. We provide from thirty
five to forty pounds per acre here on
the college farm at Athens. We have
never harvested less than one half
bale and upwards per acre since the
first arrival of the weevil in this
country.
Study the life history Of this in.
sect and watch the newly Matched
weeVils in the white blooms. Destroy
hibernated weeviis by handpicking,
busting, or the use of a molasses
mixture. Poison them before they
have laid any eggs'to hatch weevils.
In this way, effective control can
be accomplished at minimum ex-
penditure of time, labor, and cal
cium arsenate. The cost of poison
ing the Weevil depends upon seasonal
conditions, the degree of infestation,
selecting the proper time for dust
ing, and the effectiveness with
which the work is done. AS it usu-
ally costs as much to protect cot
IN 10, IL.
should only be cultivated on soils
where, under normal conditions, the
yield will approximate a bale per
acre.
Now is the time to begin the boil
weevil fight. There is no reason why
Georgia should not make a substan-
tial crop Of cotton this year. Good
stands appear TO be the rule in this
section of the state. The acreage is
fairly large all things considered.
The people of this part of Georgia
are entitled to a good crop. The
growers need the money which
should be derived therefrom as
reward for the effort and energy
they are putting into it. Business
and industry cannot develop and
prosper as they should without the
aid of a normal cotton crop Let us
get busy and capitalize on the OPP
portunities which lie Immediately
ahead in this section Let us begin
to fight the weevil and fight him to
a finish. If we do this, our rewards
will be fairly substantial when an
other cotton, harvesting season rolls
around, for | am unable at this time
to see any evidences of cheap cot
ton in sight