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TP-.NiKTN SI'XDW \MERICAN. ATLANTA, LA.. SUNDAY, AUGUST 24. 1913.
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Smith, of South Carolina, Secures
Government Experts’ Figures on
Ravages Since 1895—Proposes
Crop Diversification to Offset Loss.
By ELLISON D. SMITH.
(United States Senator From South
Carolina.)
WASHINGTON, Aug. 23.—A few
week* ago I anked some of the offi-
rials in the Department of Agricul
ture to give me an estimate of the
osses the farmers of the South have*
suffered as the result of the boll
weevil. The figures furnished me are
startling. From the report I make
the following extract:
"The only adequate way of arriving
at the losses clue to the boll weevil is
by studying the average production
per acre by States, comparing years
of non-infestation with years of infes-
A’tation. It is quite noticeable that every
State by the third year of infestation
has shown a decided reduction in
average yield per acre.
"This average production is used In
Connection with the acreage planted
to obtain an estimate in money value
of the loss from the boll weevil to the
producers. This is only the primary
loss and is turned over and over again
s* It reacts upon glnners, oil mill men,
merchants, bankers, property values,
manufacturers of the textile and the
final consumers.
"The total loss to producers ob
tained by this method from 1895
through 1912 is $841,521,135, or an
average during the 18 years of $46,-
761.174 per annum, with the loss now
reaching over $100,000,000 per annum
These Only Obvious Losses.
"Only the more obvious losses from
the ravages of this pest can even be
. -intimated. These are the losses in
productivity suffered by the producers
r and the losses in business of the first
processes in manufacture.
"Figures are presented to show the
losses to the planter, the ginner and
the oil mills as follows, for the period
from 1895 to 1912:
loss to the planters ....$841,521,135
Dow to the glnners 17,446.295
Loss to the oil mills .... 72,270,421
Total $931,237,852
"To these must be added losses in
business suffered by cotton buyers and
brokers, merchants, bankers and cot
ton mills, the loss in property values
the ultimate effects upon the con
sumer.”
In other words, officials of the De
partment of Agriculture estimate that
the loss to the South from the boll
weevil between 1895 and 1912 has been
considerably more than $1,000,000,000
This is staggering.
The Government has spent hundreds I
of thousands of dollars to stamp out
the boll weevil, but without avail. The
Government experts, entomologists,
farm demonstration agents and others
have done splendid work in teaching
the farmers better methods of culti
vation rotation of crops, etc., blit so
far as checkmating the boll weevil is
concerned they themselves admit that
their work has been a failure.
Moves Eastward Steadily.
The weevil continues its march
eastward at a steady pace each year,
and in no section where it has made
its appearance has any method been
discovered of minimizing tile damage
done by it.
Unless something is done it will
net be very long until the entire cot
ton area of the South is Infested.
Of course, soim- cotton can bo-
grown in the area infested by the
boll weevil, bilt the yield per acre
and per farm is greatly reduced, while
the cost of production is greatly in
creased. I am told by a member of
Congress who owns a large plantation
in an infested section that it costs just
about twice as much to produce a bale
of cotton now as it cost before the
boll weevil came. Many others have
given me testimony to the same ef
fect.
When one undertakes to estimate
the loss to the South during recent
years because of this little insect, and
tn^n tries to estimate the probable
loss In the future, the result must
b# appalling.
I have been deeply interested in the
boll weevil for a number of years. I
have watched its spread from the
time it made its first appearance in
an isolated spot in Texas until it has
now reached the State of Alabama,
and I have been appalled by the dam
age wrought by its ravuges. During
all these years I have been hoping
for the discovery by which the pest
could be exterminated, or even check
ed, but in both I have been disap
pointed.
Likes Zone Remedy Plan.
Some time ago the suggestion was
made to establish across the entire
cotton belt, east of the areas infested
by the weevil a zone of 100 miles, in
which no cotton should be planted.
It was Argued that this would check
_ the eastward advance of the weevil, as
it subsists only on *he cotton plant,
and it was also argued by entomolo
gists and other experts on plant and
Insect life that my moving this atone
westward fro«T year to year all the
weevils in the Cotton States would be
starved out and entirely exterminated
until the Mexican border was reached.
The idea appealed to me very
strongly, and I have given the sub
ject a great deal of study ever since.
I believe this plan is entirely feasi
ble, and while at first thought the
<ost may seem prohibitive, yet when
the estimated cost is compared with
tlie estimated saving the zone plan
1 nunt be looked upon as a very sound
r business proposition.
The Government entomologists,
far in demonstration agents and others
Pdmit that if this zone plan is i ■:
into operation it will undoubtedly
check and i^nally exterminate the >
weevil, as u will have nothing to u
upon, and they admjt at the same
time that no other plan that has been
tried so far lias been at all effective.
I have had an estimate made of the
cost of the proposed zone and I think
it is a very liberal one. It follows:
"The cessation of cotton growing
over an area of 46,245 square miles, in
which the crop is valued at $98,990,047
per annum, is at first glance such an
appalling suggestion that few have
even thought to look deeper.
Se«s Need of Substitute.
"We must add also to this the loss
in ginning business, which is com
puted at $2,915,518 er annum and the
loss in j**ed products totaling $5,633,-
562. This means that there must be
compensation for a. 4os» Jn earning
value of $107,539,127 per annum.
"In the first place, any scheme
which would call for the cessation of
cotton growing must provide the
means and knowledge for growing
something else in the place of cotton.
"A large crop of trained agricul
turists instructing in the cultivation
of new' and profitable crops and in the
principles of rotation, maintenance
of soil fertility, etc., would help the
people to double and treble the output
of their land within very- few years.
It would alJ=»o be necessary to supply
seed for planting the 2,673,672 acres of
cotton land In other crops. Thus the
greater part of the prospective loss
can he met at a reasonable expense.
"The loss of the ginners and part of
the loss of the oil men will have to be
assumed by the Government. This
loss would not exceed $9,000,000.
"It would be necessary for the west
ern portion of the quarantine area to
remain out of cotton for possibly
three years.
"East of the proposed quarantine
line there lies an area of 112,027
square miles of territorj In which 1.
cotton can b»* produced The f»ver:»g'*|l
yield per acre (1908-1811) for this
territory has been 3,051,103 bales-(500
pounds), of which 82.892 hales (500
pounds wag s»ea Island cotton. The
value of the latter was $4,224,235.
Places Faith in Expert.
"The value of the remaining or up
land cotton, valued at 11.9 cents per
pound, was $174,345,554. The value
of the equivalent amount of seed pro
duced would be $33,943,532. Thus the
annual value of the producers of the
crop to be protected is $217,514,211.
"History of the boll weevil has
shown that if this area is not pro
tected its production will he lowered
year by year until pos^fljly 50 per cent
of the crop is taken, and sometimes as
high an 75 per cent.”
The zone plan is the only sugges
tion that has yet been offered that
holds out any promise of relief. The
cost of the zone plan is undoubtedly
great, but when the estimated cost
is compared with the. estimated sav
ing, the protection <>f sections not
yet reached and the ultimate eradica
tion of the boll weevil throughout
the entire cotton belt, the cost does
not seem to be prohibitive. In fact,
the cost of the zone system will be
mild compared with the loss that
will be entailed if the boll w'eevil is
not exterminated.
Sea Island Crop Imperiled.
It is practically certain that if the
boll weevil spreads to the South At- I
lantic States the sea island cotton in-
dustry will be wiped out entirely.
This is by reason of the pemi-tropical
nature of the islands, the luxuriant j
foliage which afford^ a safe harbor and
breeding ground for the insects dur
ing winter and summer, and the fact
that there is neither extreme heat
nor extreme cold, both of which are
destructive to insect life. It is my
deliberate judgment that if the boll
weevil reaches the sea islands, there
will be no more sea island cotton.
1 have spoken of the aggregate
loss to the country, but the feature
that appeals to me most strongly is
the loss to the individual. The coun
try may eventually recover from the
damage done to the cotton crop, hut
the individual cotton farmer whose
income is cut in half or destroyed,
and whose property is made to de
preciate in value, may never recover.
The loss to him will be irreparable.
My object in writing this is in
order that the people may know' just
how seriously the cotton crop is be
ing menaced, and that they may dis
cuss and understand the only plan
that has been offered, w h'.eh promises
to accomplish the result needed. If
any other plan is suggested that
promises to accomplish the result at
a less cost or in u quicker manner,
.1 will give it my heartiest indorse
ment.
I will glad to have tne farm
ers and others of the South con
sider this problem carefully and
write me what they think of it. i
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