boll weevil killer
notes: label: Description
content: The Cole Manufacturing Company produced a boll weevil killer in the early twentieth century to combat the pest that plagued cotton crops throughout the American South. This particular weevil killer was found in a hardware store in Rutledge, Georgia, and is listed in a 1940 Cole catalogue for $16. Still in its original shipping crate, It was purchased from Pam Jones, proprietor of the Rutledge Hardware Store in 1998 for $5000.
label: Description
content: The weevil killer measures 50”x 34”x 17” and was designed as an attachment for the Cole Cotton Planter. The machine consists of rotating mops, which ran on ground power and applied a mixture of 1 gallon of molasses, 1 gallon of water, and 1pound of Calcium Arsenate to the cotton plants. The molasses attracted the weevils, while the arsenic acted as a pesticide.
label: Description
content: The weevil killer represents two key issues that farmers in the early twentieth century faced on a daily basis: pests that plagued their crops and the toxic pesticides used to kill them. It not only reminds us of the hard work and ingenuity involved in producing a profitable crop, but also of the hazards involved to both the farmer and the environment.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
setName: label: See more items in
content: Work and Industry: Agriculture
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 1998.0014.01
label: accession number
content: 1998.0014
label: catalog number
content: 1998.0014.01
objectType: label: Object Name
content: boll weevil killer
physicalDescription: label: Measurements
content: overall: 16 in x 50 1/2 in x 35 in; 40.64 cm x 128.27 cm x 88.9 cm