At the opposite end of the scale is the plan suggested for the one-horse farmer by David R. Coker of Harts ville, South Carolina. According to him, a mixture of calcium arsenate with cheap molasses can be applied by use of a mop or bottle with a shaker top. A gallon per acre is thought sufficient, and an ordinary hand can do four acres a day. This fits in with prevailing folkways of southern cotton culture as every member of the family except the smallest children can be used in the work." Three applications are necessary, the first when the squares begin to show. Professor Coad doubts the efficacy of the method. . . . "in many experiments," he writes, "we have yet to find where dusting with calcium arsenate is not more profitable and more effective than the use of poisoned sweets." ' The method will likely survive, however, simply because in the southern cotton field human labor is cheaper than machinery.
A method has also been worked out in Florida at the Experiment Station by G. D. Smith. It has proved ef ficient at a cost of only $1.57 per acre. It depends upon knowledge of completion of spring emergence of weevil and consists in removing and destroying all the squares on the plant at a time when about two per plant are present. If followed by dusting of the terminal buds many of the pests are destroyed." In February, 1923, the Southern Agricultural Work ers at the Memphis convention indorsed the calcium arsenate and Florida methods and called for new tests on the molasses-arsenate treatment. At the same time the Department issued warnings against patent anti boll weevil medicines." The risks of the weather are as great for cotton as any other major crop. Because of the southern climate, droughts and excessive rains are very real dangers to special localities.
De drouf hit parched our crop at fust En de rain done drown it now.
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De cawn jis want some 'sense to quit, En cotton's a regular chile But de sun kin scawch and de rain can spit, But de crab grass wears a smile.
In the Mexican boll weevil cotton possesses a scourge greater than that attacking almost any other crop. Its total destruction of cotton has been without a doubt immense. The opinion, however, is held by some agricul tural economists that the boll weevil has been the eco nomic salvation of the industry. When it has brought
better prices to the crop by keeping down overproduc tion and by forcing many farmers to diversify, it has accomplished that which generations of preaching and teaching had failed to do. It has even been said that as long as cotton acreage remains uncontrolled, seri ously to wage war against the boll weevil is economic treason. Regardless of the fallacy in raising crops to feed bugs, the argument would be sounder had the weevil loss fallen with equal severity upon all the growers. It is commonplace to point out that high prices for cotton in one section have been attained at the expense of farmers who have had their crop almost totally wiped out in other sections. The reduction has not been evenly distributed.
The future of the weevil in the American cotton fields is difficult to predict. In the last few years there has existed the tendency to depend more upon cultivation and "forcing" methods and less upon doctoring in at tempts to beat the weevil. The weather is easily the most important and the most variable factor. Conditions of exceptionally dry weather and hot sunshine during most of the growing season produced bumper crops for 1925 and 1926 with higher yields per acre than for any re cent period. It began to be hoped that the weevil had been conquered. But the less exceptional weather con ditions of 1927 produced a low yield and apparently found the weevil back at his old tricks. The suggestion is obvious. The weather has more effect in controlling the boll weevil than our boasted science. It seems more likely than ever that the weevil is here to stay. There exists no way at present to attack him except through laborious methods of forcing cultivation or applications of calcium arsenate. His continued presence and his de pendence upon the vagaries of climate will serve to ac centuate the effects of rains and droughts. Thus the weevil will decrease production at unforeseen periods and will leave it practically unmolested at others. To the extent the weevil does this he will emphasize price fluctu ations. Cotton bids fair to continue to deserve the epithet of dynamite. Our next chapter, accordingly, will discuss the hazards of the market to the cotton producer.