Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1928-06-17
COTTON YIELD
EXPECTED TO
BREAK RECORD
Growers Urged to Poi
son to Stop Boil
Weevil; Weather
Conditions Ideal

stop the boil weevil." is the ad-
vice Of r. r. Ruff, experienced cot
ton grower of Brownsville and Los
lndios, who asserts that if the wealth
er conditions remain favorable and
the farmers poison their cotton fields.
the Valley will produce the biggest
cotton crop or record.
Mr.. Ruff completed a trip over the
Valley Friday and stated that in all
sections he found conditions very
uniform. Boil weevil infestation, the
result Of the recent heavy rains, is
heavy in some sections. and the cot
ton flea is also taking its annual toll.
but these pests can be controlled, he
states, BY poisoning.
II have eve seen conditions more
promising for a record crop" was his
comment. II feel assured that if the
weather remains propitious some of
the fields in the Los Indios section
will yield from a bale to a bale and
a half to the acre. This condition is
general throughout the Valley, in
both the irrigated and unirrigated
sections. The fields are rather foul
as a result of the prolonged wet
weather, but the growers are now
busy cleaning them, and there will be
practically no weed growth in fields
cleaned now"
Mr.. Ruff asserted that the cotton is
putting Dr." in a manner that indi-
Gates an abnormal yield. Some dam
age has been done by the cotton flea
and boil weevil. but If these pests are
controlled by poisoning the yield in
many Valley fields will break all pre-
viOuS records. he asserts.
Fear Labor Shortage
Considerable apprehension is ex-
pressed by cotton growers in vari-
Gus parts Of the Valley over the labor
situation. Picking will start early
this season. they state, and indica-
tions are that the cotton will open
uniformly, requiring an abnormal
number of pickers to handle the crop.
The labor situation was discussed mt
& meeting of the Valley secretaries
in Edinburg Friday night. and efforts
will be made to secure the co-opera-
tion of the growers and the state and
federal labor bureaus in securing an
extra number Of pickers.
Reports from the federal depart
ment indicate that a large amount of
labor will be available from East and
Central Texas, and that h number
Of field lsborers from Mexico will be
greatly in excess Of previous years.
Many families in Central Texas ex-
pect to come to the Valley for the
cotton season, working their way
back north as the season advances.
Reports from the Corpus Christi
Robstown district indicate the cotton
crop in that section will open almost
simultaneously with the Valley crop,
and this is the basis for most OF the
apprehension regarding the labor
situation. Nueces. Kleberg- San Pa
tricio and Bee have the largest cot
ton acreage ever planted in those
counties, the demand for pickers will
be very heavy.
Weather conditions throughout
South Texas the past week have been
ideal for the cotton crop. Clear skies.
hot sunshine and dry winds have add
ed thousands Of bales to the South
Texas total. growers declare. Con-
tinuance Of the ideal weather will es-
tablish a new record for South Texas
and the cotton will add many mill
lions 10 the wealth Of the section,
they state