Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 36, Number 106, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 September 1904 — MAY BURN ITS COTTON BELT. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

MAY BURN ITS COTTON BELT.

Texas May Start Bonfires Over Millions of Acres to Wipe Out 801 l Weevil. If the present plans of the 801 l Weevil Commission are carried out, the cotton area of Texas affected by the boll weevil, amounting to 5,000,000 acres, will be turned into a vast bonfire, in hope of thus effectually destroying the pest, which has cost many hundreds of millions of dollars to Texas. The 801 l Weevil Commission, the president of which is Jefferson Johnson, formerly commissioner of agriculture, will recommend this radical action to the Legislature. Those who have given most earnest study to the boll webvil trouble favor the method as the only safe cure, and see no hope in the other remedies proposed—not even the Guatemalan ant. The ravages which the boll weevil is now coihimt ting In the cotton belt are alarming. Up to two weeks ago Texas had the most flattering cotton crop pros-

pect in her history, and it would have been safe until that time to estimate a crop of 4,000,000 bales or more; In fact, the government crop report, showing a condition of 91 per cent for Texas, would indicate a crop of that size for the State. The largest cotton crop Texas ever raised was that of 1898-1899, when 3,555,000 bales were marketed. A percentage of 91 in condition would show the plant to be nearly perfect ns to growth, vigor and fruitage. That the government report was correct is accepted by all persons well acquainted with cotton. But one thing the government report did not take into consideration was the ravage being wrought by the boll weevil. For nearly two weeks the State of Texas has been visited by heavy rains. The daily precipitation and the heat have tended to multiply the weevil to a surprising extent. At the present rate of progress the weevil is making the crop may be cut by from 500,000 to 1,000,000 bales. Great damage has been done already and still greater damage is feared. It is because the Bid) Weevil Commission knows of no other method of wiping out (he plague than by tire that the recommendation will be made to burn over the cotton fields. As all sorts of oils and poisons have failed to destroy the weevil, the commissioners have come to the conclusion that the only remedy is fire. It is in October that the weevil hibernates. Mr. Johnson's idea is to have the Legislature decree that upon a certain day in October all the farmers in the State shall cut down their eotjon plants, pile the stalks in-heaps and burn them. In the general conflagration weevil, eggs, plant and bolls will be reduced to ashes. As all but the top crop of cotton will have been picked by October the loss in lint will be reduced to comparatively small proportions. There arc nearly 1O.000.9tX) acres of land in Texas planted to cotton. Approximately one-half of this territory is infested with the weevil. As it would require nt least one tire to each acre of cotton hind nffectod, that would mean 5,0(H),000 or more fires.

PICKING COTTON.