Demonstration work in cooperation with southern farmers
By: by S.A. Knapp
Series: Farmers' bulletin / United States Department of Agriculture -- no. 319; Farmers' bulletin (United States. Department of Agriculture) -- no. 319
Publisher: U.S. Dept. of Agriculture
Published: 1908
Place of publication: Washington
Language: eng
Number of pages: 22
Subjects: Agricultural education; Cotton; Boll weevil; Control; Diseases and pests
Description: It has been proved by our cooperative demonstration work, that by following the instructions of the bureau of plant Industry a good crop of cotton can be raised in the worst-infested boll-weevil districts and despite the ravages of this pest. It is possible that the future may discover some better method of meeting the boll-weevil problems, but experience has shown that the method outlined is the only safe one at present. The boll weevil has now covered a large portion of Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and several counties in Mississippi. It is annually invading new territory with a column 600 miles long and in numbers sufficient to cover every stalk of cotton to a width of 30 miles. A cotton crop can be produced despite the boll weevil, and the sooner American farmers face the situation, the better it will be for all concerned. To demonstrate the truth of this theory is one object of the Farmers' Cooperative Demonstration Work. In the foregoing pages have been mentioned only some of the lines of demonstration which have been undertaken for rural uplifting. The results have far exceeded our expectations, and the farmers have accepted the work gratefully and have cooperated to the best of their ability in every undertaking. It is along such lines as these that great economies can be practiced and valuable reforms wrought for the betterment of rural conditions and for solving the problems of the farm.
Notes: Cover title.
Table of contents: title: The two branches of the demonstration work; title: Plan of organization; title: Scope of the demonstrations; title: The instructions; title: How farmers are influenced to adopt better methods; title: The cultural system for producing cotton under the boll-weevil conditions : Destruction of the weevils ; Fall and winter cultivation of the soil ; Early planting and the use of earl-maturing varieties ; Use of fertilizers ; Spacing between plants and rows ; Use of the toothed harrow ; Intensive cultivation ; Agitations of stalks ; Picking p fallen squares ; Barring off or topping ; Selecting and storing seed ; Rotation of crops and use of legumes; title: Demonstration work on various farm crops : Corn culture, Selection of seed corn ; Cowpeas and other soil-renovating crops ; Seed farms; title: Practical results accomplished.