BUREAU OF PLANT INDUSTRY. 311 



is fast being adopted by the most intelligent planters and farmers. 

 This method was tested on large plantations with a large acreage 

 handled by negro labor, and the success was pronounced. Demon- 

 strations were made (>n fields ranging from 40 to 2,000 acres. In a 

 number of instances with heavy infestation crops averaging practi- 

 cally a bale of cotton to the acre w^ere raised. In a 2,000-acre demon- 

 stration the average of 350 pounds of lint cotton per acre was ob- 

 tained, which the planter testifies is better than his average produc- 

 tion per acre before the weevil came. A striking instance occurred 

 where the department methods were not followed on 500 acres of 

 cotton, resulting in the production of 100 bales. Near by was a 

 1,500-acre plantation on which the instructions were carefully fol- 

 lowed, and the crop averaged half a bale to the acre on the entire 

 tract. The results of the work for 1910 have practically restored 

 the confidence of the peojjle in boll-weevil territory, especially in 

 southern Mississippi and the Delta regions of Mississippi and Loui- 

 siana. 



It is too early to forecrst crop results on demonstration farms for 

 the present season, but it is worthy of note that a most magnificent 

 fight has been made by the farmers of southern Mississippi and the 

 Delta regions of Mississippi and Louisiana and by those of southern 

 Arkansas. In southern Mississippi and Louisiana the early drought 

 in June was followed by an extremelj^ heavy and continuous rainfall 

 during July, but during that time the farmers kept up the fight, and 

 creditable results are expected. This fight has been led by the agents 

 of the cooperative demonstration work, and they have been largely 

 instrumental in encouraging the farmers to continue it. Great credit 

 is given them by the farmers locally for saving the crop. 



Some of the important results brought about by this cooperative 

 demonstration work other than those already mentioned may be 

 stated as follows: An increased use of selected home-grown seed; the 

 greatly increased use of improved implements and machinery on the 

 farm ; a great amount of deeper and earlier plowing or breaking and 

 better preparation of the seed bed; great increase in the number of 

 pure-bred stock introduced and grown; a greatly increased acreage 

 in hay and forage crops and in permanent pastures; widespread in- 

 terest and greatly increased practice in maintaining soil fertility by 

 the use of leguminous crops and stable manure; a greatly increased 

 tendency to grow home supplies and make cotton the cash crop. Re- 

 ports from implement dealers throughout the South indicate that the 

 sales of improved machinery during the past year were nearly double 

 those of any previous year. The demonstrations in corn and forage 

 crops have naturally led to the introduction of pure-bred hogs, horses, 

 cattle, and sheep. Much of this has been due to the direct influence of 

 local agents, who are constantly receiving applications for informa- 

 tion regarding live stock. 



TiiR CORN CROP. — The department is still making an effort to bring 

 about diversification and the production of home supplies. Great 

 strides have been made in this direction during the past season. The 

 figures of the Bureau of Statistics for the year 1910 show that both 

 the total corn crop and tlie average production per acre were in- 

 creased in practically all the Southern States. Taking the figures 

 for the States of Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, 



