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Jany 2, 191'

Form No. 1019^

COOPERATIVE EXTENSION WORK IN AC-RICULTUR] AND HOME ECONOIGCS.

•J. S. Department of Agriculture and State Agricultural Colleges Cooperating.

States Relations Service^ Office of Extension Work, South. (Fainers' Cooperative Den. Tcrk) Washington, D. C.

TO GROW COTTON SUCCESSFULLY mTDER WEEVIL CONDITIONS.

The United States DepartiTient. of Agriculture advises that you MUST -

1. Select warm, fertile^ well-drained soil.

2. Prepare a good seed bed.

3. Fertilize lioerally. ■ " ■ ■ . 4- Plant reaGonaclv early. .

5. ' U^e good r.eed of an .early iriaturing variety adapted' to

the. locality.

6. Cultivate shallow - often, and until late in season.

7. Carefully pick up and destroy weevil infested squares^

especially during„the first month. S. Destroy all ccttc"n stalks three weeks or more before killing f rest .

If you fclloT these instructions you can, "^rhen the '^eevil coines, on a reduced acreage continue to gro\- cotton profitably. If in addition you gro^r the necessarv feed and food crops - have a good garden, produce your" own ~'

h!fh.''^i^ ^^^""^ ^^^'^ ^^-^ ""^^ ^ ^^^^^ - you '^ill live

better and pernaps raake more clear money than ycu did before

^""^^^ ^-^^ reproduce recent letters fror. Louisiar^a a>-d ^issi-

heav V. J^ellTiXlZl ^J^^ ""^^'^ '° ^^^^^ loxtom 'lands , and are ^n

_ .evil xnf^sted sections. Hundreds of si^nar ones could be secured

J^^/f ^^^^ f ^^^^ growin^'cotton successfully u^de^ s^v. -on. by substantial compliance with above recomnendit ions :

er severe T7eevil ccn(

AjpDr^ved :

Assistant Chief

uF^LJ 1019-2.

Big; gain from destroyin^g; stalks early.

"I am writing to give you the benefit of our experience as to how we have grown cotton and handled our farms under weevil infestation.

1st. '^e have grown our home supplies. 2nd. We have grown all the velvet beans ^ coW peas_, soy beans and lespedeza possible to build up our land and furnish us nitrogen at a low cost as well as an immense lot of feed. This method leaves our land here in South Mississippi so that we only have to use Acid Phosphate or Raw Rock. 3rd. One of the best methods for the control of the weevil is to destroy the cotton stalks as early in the fall as it can be done — this alone has been worth $17. per acre to the nest crop where it had been done^ even in isolated cases. The next thing is an early and thorough preparation; get the land in good shape, and plant as early as cotton will grow and do well; work fast and shallow and if possible go over the cotton be- fore the squares appear ana catch the weevil^ and by all means pick up and burn or destroy the first crop of punctured squares and the second if possible. By following this method we have been able to make from eight to 1500 lbs of cotton per acre with a rainfall of 52 to 80 inches „ We made a net profit of $16.25 per acre under the heaviest weevil infestation we had.

'"^ill say in conclusion^ don't get scared but hold your land and stick to it. Those who have done this in South Mississippi have made good."

B. Mo Smith & Bro. , Peoria, Miss.

Plant only on well drained land.

"In this locality we break our land for cotton under boll weevil condi- tions in January or February with four furrows with turning shovel, and let stand until about the first of April. At this time we apply fertilizer by drilling in the water furro'W and rebreike with four furrows with turning plow. Run large bill sweep on top of rows and follov/ with planter as soon as weather conditions will permit. Harrow with light harrow just before cotton comes up. As soon as cotton is up run side harrow around it. Space as soon as cotton begins to put on fourth leaves from 12 to 30 inches.-^^.wing to fertility of soil and distance apart of rows. I continue to plov; cotton shallow with hsal sweeps until 25th of July or first of August, using heel sweep around cotton every other week and large heel sweeps in middles every other week. The fsoon- er the soil is stirred after each rain when land is in condition^ the less trouble you will hav^- with weevils.

"T^e never plant land in cotton unless it is thoroughly drained."

R. L, Eixon, Atlanta, Louisiana.

Picking squares doubled crop. .

"I first bed my land for cotton early, and rebed semie when ready to plant and harrow same twice with a good iron tooth harrow. I break land deep, in fact, I put ray land in a good state of cultivation before planting; then I cultivate shallow with spring tooth harrow or big heel sweeps. I cultivate my cotton every eight days and as soon as the boll weevil begir.s to cotcg^ i ahead of the plows and hunt weevils and gather up all punctured squ?.res and

\

, , ' OEFS 1019-3.

t>urn them. I keep that up ur-fill: I lay by my cot ton and cultivate my cotton as lax0 as" the-midi^le/ o.f ^*ruly oj- the first of August, 1 think this method tnc only way"' to raiie" cotton ^jmong boll 'Teevjls. As for proofs I had a share v.'crker cn'my i^lace this jv'ii\ Ha plant^ic^ f-'^en-i-y- throe acres xc :cttO:i. I fertilized his cctxon aia worked i-'- an 1 die: my ccotton. > I had ten acres , in. I hunted the '^v'^evilt.. aiid •|,:?.t.ha'"€;:l • tli^ pnrjc tured- b r^uai^es in my crop. He^ the share worker^ let the we: a- lis have full svvay at h-iS. He- gathered on his tv/enty- three acres ..fire bales. I/ ga'the"ed--on my ten acres- .five- o£ules. On an coverage I make just c.bout. as much again cotton on the- s.ame .amount of ground as those that don't look after' the weevil.'' ' ' ■ -

R. E. Mathews.. Winnifield. Louisiana.

Cotton follows corn and, velvet be^-ns,

"I am sending you' a report of my. cotton patch. This is just a rough report^ but it is about a:s' near right as I can remember. -

■ ■ I planted my lahd: in' Corn, and velvet beans last' year and early this spring I turned the corn st?J..k3 and bean vines unde.r. ■; I let it lie a month or so' and thsn'i took 200 poun.g s . of 'Virginia .Carolina fertilizers and put about 100 pounds to each en re, ■ I" put tne lertiMzer down in the middles ^ and rebroke' this land in beds about icur: f e^t apart, ■■ ; The second breaking of. 'this "land p-at it in' fairly good' shape^ ?^nd, l" planted it about the 15th of April. ■■" , j , , ' . . , ' ■ ■ — - ; - ■

It came up in a few days and started to growing. " When' it got about 3 inches high^ 1... took- my Lul-s-harrow and ran around it. When I had done this it was then ready for chopping. do I went in and chopped it and let it stand a few days; then I barrea it off close, '^^.'hen it had stood in this condition a week Oi- so I dirted it up good. I didn't use a.ny plows any more then until I laid it by. All I used- :wa3' ha:r row a:nd- .cultivator.

Il'his cotton grew fast and it was not long b.3icre squares began to come esnd boll weevil with ' theiu^' but I began - to piak up the -sovvares as soon as they began to fall^ and I began to look for the weevils that lived in the tops of the plants. Early every morning bef ore .the^ -sun gnt 'hot ..they could be. found sitting in the tops of the pla.nts; but later up in the day^ they would go down lower or the c talks to iind a cool plaoe. T kept the squares picked up and burned unti]. the cotton got too rank to try to- keep the aqu.aros picked up. Ity patch of two acres yielded about 1200 pounds of seed cotton p'er acre,"

A. h, Jackson, Simnson, Louisiana.

Makes more cotton "per acre since v/eevil came than before,

"My method of growing cotton under boll weevil conditions.

1. A thorough preparation of the land by plowing or disking in the

fall or winter.

2. Re-breaking in the spring just before planting. Have the rows

about four feet wide; put in bed from 200 to 250 lbs. of com-:- mercial fertilizer. I usually use 10-2 goods ^ as my land grows Weed enough vsrith very little nitrogen-

OEWS. 1019-4.

3. Use an early variety of seed for planting; the Mebane Trii;uTiph has

given gobd satisfaction on ray land,

4. I commence cultivation as soon as the cotton is up to a good stand,, with heel sleeps and side harrows^ and keep up intensive cultiva- tion until late in the season^ usually about the first of August^ plowing once e\'ery ten days or oftener.

5. Where the stand will permit I tiyf'to space the cotton about two

feet in the drill.

6. Commence to pick the weevils when they make their first appearance

on the ootton before it is chopped out; pick the weevils and squares after the cotton commences to square as often and as late as necessary'-.

I have worked some of my land according to Demonstration Methods ever since there has been an agent in this parish., com.nencing with Mr. Stutton in 1907; that year I had 25 acres in cotton and made 18 bales. I consider the picking of the weevils and punctured squares a very effective way of controll- ing the boll weevil. In 1907 when I was picking squares my neighbors laughed at me and said I 7;as chunking av/ay my time and money; these same neighbors that year^ with just a fence bet/^een us made from 100 to 200 lbs, of seed cotton per acre. While I have never kept an account of the cost of picking weevils and squares I know it has been very small.

Under the above method I have averaged fromi one half to three fourths bale per acre on the entire place. I maae from a bale to a bale and a half on several acres. Usually I plant from 100 to 150 acres in cotton.

If the farmers would follow this method they need not "f.ear the boll weer* vil, I have made more cotton per acre since the boll weevil came than I usually did before."

G-» W. Wovelard, Ringg^old. Louisiana.

A ^ood demonstration.

"One hundred and fifty acres of rich well drained silt loam soil was selected for my 1916 cotton crop.

It was- flat broken to a depth of about 6 inches during the months of January and February; in March it wa^ thrown into beds with turn plows and water furrows lef i; open. At planting tirce^ April 15 th^ these beds vrere freshened^ and lowered by means of walking cultivators with the side harrow attachments lashed together so as to meet at the top of the row^. the planters follow imm.ediatSly belrind the cultivator; approximately twenty fi-'-e pounds of Money Maker Cotton Seed to the acrej planted shallow but covered thc'-oughly,-'

As soon as the cotton was up^ cultivation began with one row Wr?.lki:-g cultivators running close up to the cotton., about ten days later U'e ::o..ton Was chopped out to about eighteen inches in the drill, then followci wioh the cultivator^ using, the side harrow attacliment; then with shovels^ ar;.i r aj-f shovels going to considerable depth. After the second chopping lni,-;ei ^-^Aeeps were u£;ed., and run shallow. At the third chopping the cultivator an-' b^olo h?.rrow were also used^ followed by large sweeps.

The essential feature of my cultivation which' produced a successful crop^ and as I see it^ the key-note to my success , was ' beginning early vvihn oi-Jtiva- tion^ and keeping at it^ never allowing the crop to Wait until weed;3 ana gr::."S

GETS. 1019-u.

got ahead of me. Cultivation ceased in August.

In June and July^ the former shcving the first vreevils^ and the latter the second generation^, the squares were picked up and burned ^ ber'ng cai'eiul to get the squpvres along turn ro^s_, and other hibernating places of the ".Tce- vils,

iJy total yield on 150 a-cres .vao 132 bales ".vithout fertiiizerj sold on the local market giving me a net profit on each of 150 acres of $45 per acre,

I am grateful to the Demonstration Agent^ and to the retired District Agent for their valuable assistance ".*hich was rendered at all tines."

T.O.Taylor J Inglesdde Planation, Monroe, Louisiana.

Cultivate till Aup;ust 15th - thinks picking squares too expensive on lar2;e acrea5;e.

"Before beginning any preparation of my cotton land for my 1915 cotton cropj I applied the common farm level to the fields and saw that each and every drain was well opened and making nevf drains where ever I found it necessary^ as I believe that thorough drainage is one of the essentials to growing good cotton.

In the early spring I threw my land up into beds by running four fur- roughs^ eight inches deep^ with a turn plow^ breaking out the middles tho- roughly with':rciddle splitter. The land was left in this condition several weeks before planting so as to insure a thoroughly settled seed bed.

Before plantings disc harrows were run. up and down the bed^ followed by an Ajax harrow the planter following immediately after^ distributing one bushel of seed to the acre. I believe in planting plenty of seed^ or more than necessary^ in order to secure a good stand early. Cotton was planted April 10th and a good stand came up quickly. Cultivation began im- mediately after the cotton was up. A Planter Junior Cultivator .vas run close into the cotton before it was chopped; then cotton was chopped to twelve inches in a drill leaving two to three stalks- in the drills and in four to four and a half foot rows. At the second and third chopping cotton was thinned to one stalk in the hill. —

After first chopping the cotton was side harrowed ^ and dirt thrown back a fe-Y de.ys later with a turn plow in order to thoroughly clean the grassy middles. Then Oliver wheel cultivators '^ith double shovel No. 7 and two 16" sweeps following was used fairly close into the cotton; if cotton is too grabsy some other implement will have to be used; in some cases we had Coco grass to contend .vith, and the turn plow solved this problem. After third chopping the continued use of double shovels ^ and sweeps every ten daySj as near as possible, completed the cultivation through August 15th.

My method of combFiting the bdll "./eevil is producing the cotton early^ making tvfo- thirds of the crops bottom and iuiddle crops.,, before the migratory period of the weevil, and allo.ting the .veevil to take the top crop. I have found that the picking of punctured squares is too. costly an operation.

By the above methods I produced 700 packed bales of cotton averaging 500 pounds each on 900 acres of good silt loam soil without fertilizers."

J,R. Goyne, Mag;n3ta Planation, Monroe, Louisiana.

OEWS. 1019-6/

Early, deep "farsaking; and shallow cultivation.

"A successful way to raakepfine cotton crop in boll weevil territory. I have produced a bale to the acre v^hen my neighbors made oner-fifth bale. I broke land .vith 12 inch John Deer Steel plo.T^ eight inches deep^ in January and Februajry. Laid off rov/s 3{- feet apart in early April. Put 200 #16 Phos. r.nd 200 lbs. cotton seed nied tc the acre, prepared a deep anl flat seed bed and planted betvfeen 20th and- 30th of Aprils Side- harro-T as soon as cotton '.Tas up. Harrow again in ten days. Then when cotton is six inches high^ eighteen inches apart^ cultivate shallow and clean after each rain. Pick up cll punctured squares until Ai;^ust Istj from June 15th until July 25^ every week. " - ■ ' ■■■■ ■ ■--■"']-'-

T. C. Franks, -Minden^ Louisiana-

Rotate crops - frequent shallow cultivation,

"1st. Soil should be well drained and warm. Should have a systematic ro- tation, of crops that plenty of organic matter should be incorporat- ed with the soil. ,

2nd. G-ood land should be broken or bedded deeply and early enough that a firr.i seed bed may be had at planting time.

3rd, About 250 or 300 lbs. of fertilizer containing at least 10/^ of

phosphorous and nitrogen in proportion' to needs of soil should be applied from eight to ten dapcs before' planting.

4th« Harrowing and. 'shallow cultivation should be as often as practicable up to the rsth of August, . And all punctured and fallen forms should be picked up before^ each plcTing.

5th. Width of rows" and dis'tance in drill depends upon strength of land and growth of stalks Distance should be as to give plenty of sun- shine to all parts of the weed."

H. B. A. Plant, Doy'line, Louisiana.

Never lay by until cotton begins to open.

"1st. I plant early m.aturing variety^ usually Simpkin'3'. 2nd. Prepare a perfect' seed bed before planting. •

3rd, Plant r-iedium early /' no t ' too early'nor too late^ say about first of April.

4th. Cultivate shallow and rapid from time cotton comes up with side harro"^ and,culti^rator-. First plowing is usually done with a spring- tooth cultivator run as a side harrow and later cultivation is done v;ith Planet Jr.^ 1 horse cultivator.

5th. I never lay by until cotton begins opening which is usually about the first of August. :I c pnsa.de r the secret of making cotton under boll weevil conditions is a good seed bed and rapid, shallov/ culti- vations with iaide harrov/, cultivators and sweeps.

J. Q. Lo^an, Colfax , Louisiana.

^ CEWS. 1019-". Break deep in fall or winter if possible - shallow in spring;.

"I select Well drained, sandy soil of fair fertility. When possible I break the land deep in the fall and winter. If unable to do .^this^ I break shallow in spring, I endeaver to prepare seed bed early and if it becomes too compact^ I loosen it up a little with a spring-tooth harrow just before planting. I us^ seed of a quick maturing variety of cotton^ and select seed from the earliest maturing fruit of thist ccttnn. I plant very early some times in March, always by the fifteenth of April. Plant rather thick in order to allow for some of the plants succumbing to cold. Do not thin out until la.te, in order to sele^ct the most vigorous plants and to make sure that all danger of cold is past. I leave the plants fairly thick in the rows, twelve to eighteen inches apart - according to the strength of the land. Frequent shallow cultivation is then in order, my endeaver being to produce a rapid growth, but only a medium sized plant that- will mature and fruit early.

The above outlined method accomplishes the intended purpose unless the weather conditions during the summer are such as to cause a rank growth and consequent late fruiting. I find that .the weevil becomes numerous enopgh by the fifteenth to thirtieth of July to destroy practically all the fruit the plant can produce, hence unless your crop is well toward maturity before this date your chances for a proilitable yield are very smalls."

T. H. McNeely^ Colfax, Louisiana.

Weather conditions very favorable ~ big; yield.

"Kin^ of soil: Sand loam on Bayou Jean DeJean, Rapides Parish, Louisiana. Amount of land, twelve acres.

Broke land in rows 4-^. feet wide in March,, broke about four inches deep, then disc land, then harrowed just before planting. Planted 18th day of April.

Cultivation: First cultivation with side harrow, then chopped cotton to 16 inches in drill; then broke out middles very shallow with turning plow; then side harrowed; then used Planet Jr. Cultivator and side sweep; then plowed out middles very shallow with turning plow; then side harrowed; then used solid sweep; then used Planet Jr. I kept cotton clean all the time. Did not pick up any squares. Weather conditions were very favorable for making good crop with the exception of some rains in July.

I produced 13 bales of lint cotton averaging 544 pounds each, which brought in cash $1032.79. Seed brought $205. 00, total amount for lint and seed $1287.79. The amount paid for ginr>.ing and bagging and ties v/as deducted from the above amounts. "

S. W. Hines, Boyce, Louisiana,

OE^S, 1019^8,

(From the Negro Fanner and Messenger - Tuskegee 'Institute^ Ala. ) •■■ ^" I2/2/I6. . , ^ :

' . • ^ "Ho''? my Father succeeded in gro-vin^. cottQn ' this year in

spite of tlie n'i^evyil. "

"In the first place my father realized; that the dreaded pest vfas here in 1915^ and set about destroying all places of hibernation. He burned the /roods near^ burned the' stumps and trees in the field and did a.vay .vith all rail fences.

Hs plovred his land thoroughly in the fall of 1915 v;hich gave it' a chance to freeze much deeper j. and furthor - put the v/eevil out of business.

Hs used an early variety of' cotton seed^ such as Tool's,^ Brown's and also Prof. Carver's Lr-'/rovad. variety . • The seed secured from Tuskegee ".vas very successful and I .vfould recommend it to all farmers v/ho desire to get ahead of the ./eevil.. '. ■ ' ; .; ; ,-. .. . ,

My father planted cotton .the ■ last of March - 30 acres in all^ to the plo-vs; used 200 pounds guano to. the acre. Plowed this Cotton every week^' using a brush on the -sh if fie tree. He had the squares gathered' two or three tim.es a week. But for the heavy rains in June^ I am sure he would haJve gotten two-thirds of a crop- in spite of the- weevil. Ho'wever^ he succeeded in- getting 13 bales- to his two -plows.

His experience this year convinces him that he had too much planted to wotton. He has decided to plant only 8 acres to the plow next year in order to cultivate more thoroughly. And too he advises that 'whenever a small quantity of fertilizer, is /-uaed^^ -it ''shquld be us,ed„ at ^planting time.

rn-'^addition to the cotton c r op ^ "my 'father also' made '^OG bushels of com, 20 bushels ©f wheats 10 " bushels Of Tfrye^ " three- tons of ■ hay^, 100 . grJlons of syrupj 200 bushels of potatoes^ plenty , of • peanuts and peas',. He/ had 18' lar,ge hogs to kill with 25 to run' over fcr another year. In this, -"'ay us are not ' very much hurt by the "weexril. Af ter my school, closes I go home and become a regular hand on my father's f ?.rm, "