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TALK TO Tffi FARMERS Timely Suggestions From Com missioner 0. B. Stevens. IMPORTANCE OP HOME 8UPPUE8 , If the Farmer Would Control the Price of Hie Cotton It le Imperative that |^He Raise Hie Own Supplies—Other Matters of Importance to Agricul- turlste. Atlanta, Ga., May 19. 1904. The busy season which occupies all the time of our office force during Us continuance, is now so nearly over that we can find time to think of something else; therefore, we will re sume our monthly talks with the farm- era. Not withstanding the backwardness of last season and the falling off In the production of crops, the prices for cotton have ranged so high as to inure greatly to the benefit of our farmers. Those who were not compelled by business obligations to rush their cot ton to the market and hence could afford to bold it for the best prices, secured better profits than they have been able to make for many years. Those, however, who had gone into debt for their supplies, derived but little profit from increased prices, be ing compelled to go early into the i market to pay the factors who bad /liens upon their crops. U would seem that we have here another lesson on the importance of home supplies and Independence of debt. A planter who makes his farm self-sustaining by raising his own food supplies for man and beast, makes his cotton a money crop, and can hold it long enough at least to make a fair profit from its sale. But he who has mortgaged his crop to procure his food supplies, is at the mercy of the lender and is often forced Into the market with heavy loss to himself. Our adfice to farmers, therefore, is: If you would keep prices to a point where they will bring good profits, raise your food supplies. Doing this, you can do much toward controlling the price. * CULTIVATION. The long winter and cold spring have net been favorable for the ger mination of crops. Yet the farmers have had good weather for cultivatig the crop. Careful attention to this part of the work from the time of ^tenting to the gathering of the bolls very Important factor in insuring 'success to the farmer. To prepare the land well by plow ing, barrowing and putting In the fertilizer required by. the soil is not only very good, but absolutely essen tial. But bo matter how well that part of the task may have been per formed, without careful cultivation, it profits little. The exper*«nced farmer knows that unless his land Is kept open and po rous, the best fertilizers will give lit tle benefit to the crop. Hence, good plowing and hoeing at the right time have as much to do with success as good preparation and manuring before planting. The .healthy growth of the young plant Is promoted by frequent and rapid working* and often deep plow ing is not only helpful but necessary in order to pulverize land that was not completely broken up at the time of preparation. Remember, too, what we have of ten said: Do not let your stalks come up too close together. From 20 to 24 inches apart is close enough. Be careful in hoeing not to take so much dirt away from the young cot-' ton as to cause danger of its falling ' down. CORN. In the second working of corn the plowing should be thorough and deep. I The application of fertilizers now., If it | has not already been done, on each side of the corn hills in the siding furrows, will greatly afh the forming of the ear. j If pease are to be planted in the furrows between tbo stalks of com, It , should be at the time of the second working. If the rows of corn ere widb enough apart, it Is best to put the pease in the middle. HAY. So soon as you have removed your small grain from the field, sow peas, adding a small quantity of sorghum seed 6r corn, which will aid in hold- ; ing up the f>eas, and wil add value to your crop of peavine hay. This plan will aid materlallyjn bhildlng up your land. dpiose who have not already mowed clover, orchard and tall oat grass, nRild do this work. Do your cutting after the dew dries. After yru see j that tho grass is thoroughly wilted* put It up in cocks, narrow and tall, so that, the dew will find as little ^ur face as possible to rest upon.* I So soon as possible, house your hay. A dressing of lime plaster and ashes will help the clover, when Its second , growth begins. This Is the time for, planting millet, corn forage and sor , ghum for hay and for foillnfc. LIVE 8TOCK IN GEORGIA. There U a steady Improvement in our State in the selection sod rearing of live flock. Enterprising farmersj are no longer satisfied with scrub cat tle «jd hones, but are stocking their f farms with the beat breeds. They do not confine their efforts to selec- lection, but give great care also to supplying them with wholesome food and good shelter against inclement weather. Our cities and towns afford splendid merkets for first-class beef, mutton, poultry and hams. Why can not our farmers'supply these things? Fresh beef from the country, fat and tender, and free from the peculiar odor and taste often found in cold storage meats, if the supply could be made to equal the demand, would be at a premium over western beef. The same is true of all other meats. NEED FOR A VETERINARY 8URGEON. The growing interest of our peopit in live stock is one of the best ar guments for the need of a State Vet erinary surgeon. The Department of Agriculture has time and again urged upon the legislature the importance of appointing such an officer. The farmer* who constitute by far the larger part of the voters of Geor gia, ought to Instruct their delegates to vote for the establishment of such an office. The Department of Agriculture asks for no appropriation to meet the ex penses of such an officer. All we ask Is permission to appoint him and pay him out of the funds In our hands. O. B. STEVEN8, Commissioner of Agriculture. COTTON jOLL WEEVIL One of the Present Qreat Pests of Cotton Growers. IT8 WIDESPREAD RAVAGES. Interesting Article From the Pen of William Newell, State Entomolo gist on the Mexican Boll Weevil. Measures for Its Suppression, Etc. In December, 1903., the State Depart ment of Agriculture published a short article upon the Mexican Boll Weevil, which was widely distributed. So many requests have recently been re ceived Regarding this serious pest of cotton that it is felt that a more de tailed account of the Insect will at present prove of Interest to our farm ers. The Mexican Boll Weevil has during the past year (1903) caused a very heavy loss to the cotton growers of Texas. This loss for the season is estimated by Dr. Howard, of the Unit ed States Department of Agriculture, at approximately 126,000,000. This represents the loss to the pl«alers, but the total Ides to manufacturers, transportation companies and business men doubtless reaches as much ad 9100,000,000. The extreme probabili ty that the Insect will eventually reach all sections of the cotton growing area in tne United States, and that It is likely to be distributed In the trans portation of cotton seed and other ag ricultural products, makes It of'spe cial interest to alt cotton planters. Ail hope of exterminating the In sect baa.been abandoned, as It has al ready spread over, a territory which produces about one-third the cotton of the United States. Aside from Its occurrence In Texas* the pest is also found in Mexico and Cuba. The first record of its damage to cotton dates back to 1856, when it appeared as a pest of cotton in the state of Coahuila in Mexico. Its ravages Increased for several years until the culture of cot ton was entirely abandoned in th» hope of exterminating the pest. About twenty-five years alter cotton culture was again commenced, bat tho weevil still persisted and soon did as much damage as before. The weevil gradu ally spread toward the Texas border, and as early as 1888 or 1889, had ap peared near Matamoras, Mexico, near the mouth of tho Rio Grande river and opposite Brownsville, Tex. The Rio Grande river, which Is a wide stream at this point, soemed to check the weevil's northward movement for a time, but in 1892, It appeared near Hrovv’hsville on the Texas side of tht river. It is. of course* possible that individuals were blown across the riv er by winds, or even flew across, but in the light of knowledge since ac quired, it seems more than probable that the weevils were brought across the river in unginned cotton, or in cot- ton seed. Now the country around Brownsville is not a cotton-growing section of great Importance, and had the culture of cotton been entirely stopped in that section for three or four years, the weevil could, in all probability, haye been exterminated. Tne Government entomologists in 1894 counseled the Texas legislature to take the necessary steps towards wiping out the insect, while thin was still possible, but this advice was dis regarded. Many similar cases may be cited where states have failed to make adequate appropriations for con trolling insect pests and diseases, while these were still confined to email areas, yet when later on the pest bad caused wide-spread damage and covered largo area* big appropriation* have been made in a vain attempt to remedy the trouble which, could have been so cheaply prevented in the first plac. In 1694 the weevil appeared at Alice and San Diego, T6x., on the Mex ican Notional Railroad. _ Its spread lubsequently has been at an average rate of sboutt 50 mllea per year, un til at present it coven nearly all the cotton-growing area of Texts’ and has I reached the boundaries of the Indian Territory on the north and Louisiana on the east. It has, in fact, already appeared at two or (hree pointa in the latter state. That this spread will continue until all parts of the cot ton-growing area in tbi* country are reached, there seems no question. The problem confronted ia indeed a na tional one. Not only are the plant ers and business men In fhe infested territory affected, but even the cotton mills of New England and of the ola worla must sooner or later feel the et fecta of the increased price of cotton as a result of *hort crops due to the weevil attacks. So also will the cus tomer—the man or woman who wears cotton clothing—f«?el tb% increased cost of cotton goods regardless ol whether he may live in Texaa. Geor gia, New York or London. The re cent high prices prevailing for cotton (although these high prices can he at tributed to thp work oi the boll wee vil in part only) have stimulated Eu ropean countries to develop cotton cul ture iu their colonial possessions as rapidly as possible, so it is not improb able that in future years the United States will furnish a much smaller par., of the world's cotton supply than heretofore. There is a possibility, of course, that the boil weevil may* obtain a foot-hold in these new cotton countries., although the agents of for eign countries who have been purchas ing cotton seed in the United States during the past year, have avoided, lor ihe most part, the weevil-infested area. ► WHAT THE WEEVIL 18. The adult weevil Is a brownish bee tle varying from three-sixteenths to three eighths of an inch in length. It is provided with a long “snout" or bill and is not unlike the common acorn weevil in appearance. In color, 4he boll weevils va'ry from a light gray to a chocolate brown or J)]ack. As a usual thing tho older the beetle, Che darker in color it becomes owing to the minute hairs wearing off the body. Tne boll weevil is a not distant rel ative of the strawberry weevil and the plum curculio There are many com mon species of weevils which so close ly resemble it that the novice cat! tell them apart only with difficulty. The cdult beetles pass the winter In traih, rubbish, cotton bolls, etc., about the cotton fields, and also In the loaves and rubbish of timber lands. These weevils appear In the spring at about the time the first cotton plants appear abova the groifnd, and having fasted since the previous autumn, now feed to a considerable extent upon the tender buds and stems of the young cotton plants Later In the season, howover* they feed but little in tho adult stage. As soon as the first squares appear the female beetles commenco egg de position. The female eats a hole In to the square or form and deposits an egg therein. This process is then repeated upon the next square, form or bloom, and so on. Each female .deposits from 50 to 76 eggs In this manner, and with few exceptions eacn egg is deposited in a separate square oi foim. ’ . The egg hatches In two or three day . after being deposited, into a mi- nut j footless "worm" or larva which immediately commences feeding on the Interior of the square. The square oi form invariably fails to the ground at this time, and the larva continues ils development therein. In from 14 to 17 days this larva reaches full growth, becoming about three-eighth* of an Inch in length, and la white and plump. It now passes into the pu pal sttgo, still remaining in the square. During the pupal stage It takes no food, (Mid this stage lasts from seven to teuT^ays, at the end of which time it change* to the adult beetle and again commences the life cycle. We thus see that an entire generation of weevils Is developed approximately every 3C days during the entire grow ing season of cotton. During tho win ter season a large percentage of the weevlis are killed by unfavorable weather, by tne attacks of birds and animals etc-, no that early in the spring there are comparatively few of them. Their damage lo the cotton o*riy In the season Ih, therefore, hard ly noticeable, but as each thirty-day period brings an increased generation, tho wtevll* are abundant enough by July 15th or August 1st to sting and destroy every square formed upon tao rlants. So long aa plenty ot squares are at hand, the eggs as© de posited in these in preference to tho bolls, hut when the weevils have be came so abundant that the supply of squares doc* not equal their demands, eggs are then laid in the green bolls. Bolls ret early in the summer es cape injury from the weevil, but af ter about Ju7y 10th in the wcevil-in- iesicd district, every square da de stroyed as fast as formed. REMEDIE8. No really satisfactory remedy has been fou^ for this pest. The fact that the gpiect feeds very little except m the lava! stage, and the fact that this, stage is entrely protected within the square or boll, makes It Impos sible to kill the Insects by the appli cation of arsenical poisons to the plant*. The first brood which appears in (he spring—from winter quarters— feeds to some extent upon the young cotton plants and some of them can be killed by applying poison at this Ume< The adult insect hat a hard and fidrny covering making It impractica ble to destroy it by contract insecticide* However* the government entomol ogists who have experimented against this pest extensively the past few years in Texas have found several means by which the ravage* of the pest can be reduced and a profit-re turning crop made in spite of the wee- vi*. Those measures are til simple and can he applied by any farmer. In the first place no “top-crop" can ever he mude In a weevil-infested district, if cattle and mules are turned Into tiie cotton fields three or four weeks before the first autumn frosts and are allowed to eat off the young squares and forms, a large number of weevils and larvae will be destroy ed and a much smaller number will be left to go into winter quarters. During the winter a large number ot these weevils are destroyed through natural agencies, so (fiat the following spring they will he quite soarce. From what has been said above, tho reader will note that these few remaining will not become seriously abundant until July or August. An early variety ol cotton should, therefore, be planted— as early as possible—and rushed to early maturity by frequent and thor ough cultivations. This will enable the plants to set a good percentage of holla before tho weevils become abundant enough to destroy all the squares. Thcsb bolls—set early in the soasou—will constitute the crop, and theonly crop that will be secured. We mentioned al*ovo, tho fact that the aquares, containing weevil eggs, fall trom the plants soon after these eggs fcauh Now, if these fallen squares he kqpr gathered up from the grounu aud burned, the succeeding broods ot the weevil will ho reduced in num ber*. During mid-summer the sun is ofttimes hot enough to kill the lar vae in these fallow squares as they lie or. the ground, provided they are not shaded by the cotton plants. For this reason the rows should be planted well apart, and plants far apart in thp rows. The rows should also run east and west instead of north and south in order that as much direct sunlight as possible may reach the ground about the cotton plants. This method of planting should he adopted by every cotton planter, even ; though no weevils are present, for thtne mothods also reduce the dam age done by the boll worm and cotton caterpillar, insects which appear every year in greater or less numbers. We do hot hero propose to discuss i In detail the various ways of combat- ! ing the weevil, as the pest has not yet been found in Georgia. The above is given as showing in what direction , repressive measures must be taken j when this pest ultimately appears in Georgia. | The hofi weevil in its natural spread . by (light, probably could not reach 1 Georgia for several years, but unlor- 1 tunaiel) the in.sect may be at any j time iintroduced in shipments or cot- j ton seed or haled hif?, or even haled I cotton, from the Inlcsted districts of j Texas, or Louisiana. A regulation (having the torch of law) Is already in effect, which prohibits tho shipment into Georgia of cotton seed from Tex as or Lo ilslana, without its having been thoroughly fumigated. | Every farmer in Georgia should closely watch his cotton during the growing season, and whenever he finds , any new or unusual insect upon his ' cotton, should send samples of it to the State Entomologist, Atlanta, Ga.. I (or determination. The latter party will at all times, Ufke pleasure In j answering inquiries of thiB kind and always free of charge. If the first occurrence ot the weevil can be de- J tectcd as soon a* it appears and before it ha* a chance to spread over any , considerable area, it may be possl- j bio by drastic measures to stamp it out right there and prevent losses of many thousands of dollars. Onco It obtain© a good sturt, however, there wilf he no Mich thing as extermination. Because remedial measure* have been ’ mentioned above, tho reader should , not conclude that the weevil can be circumvented or that a* good crop* can lie made when it is present. No matter what measure* may be cm ! ploycu or remedies used, the cotton ■ crop tx certain to be severely cut down by the weevil. Then, too, many remedial measures are expen sive and their cost must ho deducted j from the profits of the crop. \V*i know full well that the flr.s appbarBneo of (he boll weevil is like ly to be around cotton mills, oil mills, I lumber camp:, and along newly con structed lines of railway, because it is at such place* that most important agricultural products from Texa* are used If a competent^man—or two men--thoroughly familiar with tho boil weevil* could be employed to an nually examine the cotton field* in these localities. It Is very probable that the first appearance of the weevil would be promptly detected and meas ures could he taken for exterminating ;r, or at least severely checking Its , spread. Such measures would mean the saving of thousands of dollars to 1 the cotton growers of the State, *and j money so invested would be the best j insurance which Georgia could pur- 1 chase for the future of her cotton crop, j Unfortunately,'no funds are at pre* I ent available tor such work, but Gie | Slate Board of Entomology stands reauy to undertake this work aa soon as the people, through their legisla ture. deem R expedient to make the Dfecrs ciy appropriation therefor. Wilmon Newell, state Entomologist ANALYSIS FERTILIZERS Letter of State Chemist John U. McCandless. SOME INTERESTING FIGURES. State Chemist Gives Some Valuable Information to the Farmers Regard Ing Fertilizers—Complete Analysie of a Fertilizer. Now I am in receipt of questions from several farmers who study the analyse* in the bulletins, wanting to know what it is that makes up the bal ance of the one hundred per cent, in analysis of a fertilizer like the one first given which contains: Per.Ct. Available phosphoric acid 8.16 Nitrogen ;».ji Potash 2.30 12.63 What Makes the Hundred Per Cent In the Analysis of Fertilizers. They write and say, here you have a total of twelve and sixty-three hun dreds per cent., what is tho balance of eighty-seven and thirty-seven hun dredths per cent? We don't understand it, and wo want to know what this big balance con sists of. Now there are two ways o( answering this question; the first la by giving you tho formula according to whrch the goods were made, which w as you remember, one thousand and fifty pounds or fourteen per cent acid phosphate. six hundred and fifty pounds of cotton seed meal containing six and a half per cont. of nitrogen, and three hundred pound* of kafnlt containing twelve and a half per cent, of potash. Therefore, tho good* In question will bo found, on reducing these quantities to percentages to he compared a* follow*: Per.C’t. Acid phosphate 52.6 Cotton seed meal 32.6 Kainlt 15.0 -1 ^ 100.0 There you have your 100 per cent., and this is the mixture which gave the analysis of 8.16 per cent, available phosphoric acid. 2.11 per cont. nitro gen, and -2.36 per cent, of potash There is another way of answering the question* of those who want to know what constitutes tho eighty-sev en and thirty-seven ono hundredths per cent. That way would ho to muke a laborious and costly analysis (^de tail of all the various ingredient* found in tho acid phosphate, tho cotton seod meal, and the kainit. That anal ysis, whon completed, would only grat ify your curiosity, because the essen tial element*, which alone are of prac tical interest, the available phosphor ic acid* nitrogen and potash, have al ready been given. I have, however, made a complete analysis of a fertil izer, not the particular ono we have been discussing, but ono very similar to it, made from South Carolina acid phosphate, cotton Bccd meal and kainlt. I give you below a copy of this analy sis, which you will soo adds up the full one hundred per cent During the season of 1902-1903 the farmers of Georgia paid In round num bers $9,600,000 for commercial fertil izers and during the season of 1903- 1904 they have paid on account of In creased prices, 113,600,000. The sale* from May 1st to October 1st will make but a slight addition to these figures. OA. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE. FRUIT. We congratulate the people of Geor gia ftn the prospect of the best fruit j season that our State has known tor many years. The-late spring and, fronts did some damage in parts of, the northern section of Georgia, Hut . over the greater part of that region then !r. a good prospect. In Middle and Bouth Georgia there j is promise of an unprecedented peach crop* and many who would otherwise j have little money to go on during the summer, will now havo ready ca*h to ( ppend. With over 8.000,000 trees In hearing. J ♦he peach crop will bring Into our | St-Jte during the dull season several miilio.. dollars. GA. tJEP’T. OF AGRICULTURE (a) Contains water, Soluble Phospho (b) Contains Reverted Phosphoric A (a) and (b) Contain Available phos (c) Contains Insoluble Phosphoric Ac Total Phosphoric Acid . (d) Contains actual Potash, 2.45 per le) Contains Nitrogen, 2.11 per cent. Hero also is given a complete analy phosphate" made from South Carolina (a) Mono-Calcic, or Super-Phosphate (h) DiyUalcic, or Revcrted-Phosphato (C) Tri Calcic, or Bone-phosphate o Sulphate of Limo, of Gypsum, or Potash Soda Sodium Chloride ., Bi-sulphide of Iron rr Pyrites .. Magnesia Per Oide of Iron Alumina ' Fluoride of Lime Sand or SUicloua Insoluble Matt Water (a) Contains water. Soluble Phospho (l>) Contains Reverted Phosphoric A (a) and (b) Contain available Phosp (c) Contaihs Insoluble Phosphoric Ac Total Phosphoric Acid THE SALE OF TAGS. Inquiries aro continually coming to ua a* to tho number of tags sold dur ing tho past season and as to how theso compare with the sales of the previous season. _ Of course, tho season of 1903 and 1904 does not end until tho last day ot September next. But from Oc tober 1. 1903, to tho last day of April, 1904. inclusive, the sale* of tag* arc: Cotton seed meal, 1,576,420, and tor tilizers. 0*067,805. For the season ot 1902 1903 they were: Cotton seed meal, 1,521,440 and fer tilizers, 5,481,683; QXcobb over lost season, cotton sod meal 53,980; fertlh izers, 586,122. In putting up cotton seed meal 20 bag* to the ton aro required, and each bag must bo togged. Fertilizers re quire 10 bag* to tho ton, and each bag must bo tagged. Thu*, wo see that for tho season o* 1903-1904 to April 30th, there were mW 606,780 -tons of commercial fertilizers and' 78,771 tons of cotton seed meal. Up to tho same tlm© during the se»- ion of 1902-1903 there were sold 648r 1G8 tens ot commercial fertilizers and 76,072 tons of cotton seed meal. ERCIAL "GUANO” OR FERTILIZER. Intral Matters. Per Cent o of Lima .. .. .. .. .. •• 9.62 of Lime 3.02 Lime 1.09 r Land-Plaster ' 2f.60 , 3.11 .. 0.80 lum Oxide (K20) 0.66 ♦ .. 0.29 t 6.41 phate 4.14 0.41 1.88 0.4(4 0.63 „ ,, 0.64 0.39 •r * 5.87 9.33 * I Vegetable Matter. .. .. .. 13.20 ugar and gum) 8.11 4.37 7.77 * 100.00 Per cont rlc Acid 5.78 cid 1.68 phoric Acid 7.36 id 0.91 COMPLETE ANALYSIS OF A COMM Inorganic or M (a) Mono-Calcic, or Super-I’hosphat (b) Dl-Calcic, or Reverted Phosphate (c) Trl-Calcic, or Bone-Phosphate of Bui phate of Lime, or Gypsum, o f Sulphate of Potash ., .. . (djf \ Muriate of Potash [potash, or Potassium, or Potass Soda, or Sodium Oxide Common Salt, or Sodium CUiorid Epsom Bait*, or Magnesium Sul Magnesia, or Magnesium Oxide . Magnesium Chloride Pryrltes, or Bisulphide of Iron . Peroxide of Iron .. Alumnia .. .. .. Fluoride of Lime ., », .. ,. ., , Sand, or Insoluble 8lliclous Matt Water » Organic or Anfma (•) Protein .. .. Carbohydrates (such aa starch, * Fat or Oil fibre •Is of an "Acid Phosphate" or "Super rock: —* Per cent of Lime ,. .. . 18.13 of Llmo .. ,, .. 5.75 t Lime .• 3.80 Land-Plaster ..4G.05 .. . 0.12 0.38 0.03 0.74 0.14 1.10 1.22 0.75 9.29 12.50 rlc Acid ,. . cid *. .. . horic Acid .. 14 .. 15,74 JOHN M. McCANDLESB, State ^