The independent. [volume] (Elizabeth City, N.C.) 1908-1936, 1924-02-08
HARD WORK IS
THEONLY WAY
Cotton Growers This Year
Must Hasten Maturity and
Poison Weevils.

Several hundred Pasqoutank
County farmers learned Tues
day that they will have to be-
stir themselves early and
quickly il they expect to get a
crop of cotton under boil
weevil conditions this year.
The farmers Learned that their
only chance to get any sort OF
a profitable crop. is dependent
upon quick growth. early ma
turity and incessant poisoning.
The farmers were told all this at
a special meeting held for their In
formation In the PasIoutank COun-
ty courthouse by experts from the
state Department Of Agriculture.
The meeting was held, not with the
idea of encouraging the planting OF
cotton, hut tO advise those farmers
who arc determined, to plant Ii, the
most cffectual means known OF COM
batting the wccvil.
Eternal vigilance will bc neces.
snrry this year to keep out the
wcevils, the farmers ARE told, and
the most vigllnnt methods are. first
to insure quick growth by using
nitrate Of soda: second: Insure
early maturity by the application OF
acid phosphate: and third: to dust
frequently AMI thoroly with calcium
arsenatc.
The most successful formulas OF
the recommended fcrtilizing agcnci'
cs can best bc determined by a
knowledge of the type Of soil on
which they are to he used: ana
valuable assistance In this respect
can bc given by the county ngri'
cultural agent or by competent
farmers who know the scientific ap'
plicution Of fcrtilizing agencies.
The farmers were told of most
cfrctual methods of using calcium
arsenatc. Frequent dusting with
machines designed only for cotton
plants was recommended to those
farmers whose acreage would Jns'l'
IL the expenditure. Hut the farm
ers nrc advised thut ID will not pay
10 poison unlcss.-the wecvils are
irluriny the crop seriously; the land
is sufficiently fertile TO yield ut
lcnst onc.thir,l of bale per acre
with wccvil injury eliminated: or
of the farming organization Is such
that the poison applications Will
not be made at the right time ana
in the right manner: and the farm
or should not poison at all II the
c,st of the calcium nrScna'c. the
cost of the labor TO apply II. ana
the depreciation on the dhstiiis
mnchincs will total more per acre
I
nan the current value of 100 pouLds
Of seed cotton.
Small patches Of cotton may Dc
cuectually trcated by mixing u
mound Of calcium arscnate with one
gallon of water and n gallon oi
ordinary molasscs, mixing thoroly
l...IV L.
and applying to the cotton Dolls
with n brush. Care is To hc taken
That the solution Is not allowed to
stand, for IL 1t sours II will work
injury to the plant by scalding H.
Another method for light dust
iur is TO take the powdered nlcium
orsenotc I'm n cotton sack AMI dust
II over the squares when the cot:
ton Is threatened by the wccvil.
Other advice given the farmer
Along the lines of dustins, Is TO:
roison only when the air Is calm
and the plants are moist. Five 10
scvrn hounds Of calcium arscnatc
n,r mere IL the usual amount necd'
cd. Farmers should start poison
ing by the time the wecvils nave
m,nctured from ten to 10 per cent
of the sauares. keeping the cotton
tboroly busted until the wcevils are
under control which usually means
about three applications Mt the rate
Of one every four days. Poisoning
may then he suspended until the
wecyils again become abundant.
IL there Is n heavy rain wlthih
oi hours after dusting, 1t need not
cypect TO destroy all the wccvils, as
they can usually bc found IN sue
ccssfully poisoned field. Poisoning
is merely to control them In order
IN pcrmit the growth OF n full crop
OF cotton.
Rut with all the instructions Tor
the cultivation Of cotton, the farm
crs were not urged to plant. They
were told to diversity their crops
plnntinr the more sure and profit
\ L.
nblc crops that make money casll!
In this fertile section. and to grow
good cattle. pigs and chickens.
But the farmers will plant much
cotton this year. The interest that
is shown In cotton growing is evil
dcnccd by the attendance ut the
meeting. An advertising campaign
conducted In this newspaper ana 10y
the use of placards, stirred interest
and brought II courthouse full OF
| farmers, in spite Of the fact that
Tuesday was rniny and muddy
roads prevented many, who would
otherwise have been hereI from