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reputable planters. This contract binds the planter to follow the directions 

 of the Bureau in all respects, from the preparation of the soil through to the 

 marketing of the crop. In consideration of this agreement on the part of the 

 planter, the Department guarantees him a certain yield per acre. The amount 

 of this guaranty is determined as far as possible upon the competitive bid 

 basis, although the personal attitude of the planter is considered to be fully 

 as important as the lowness of the proposal. This system has lieen found to 

 work in a very satisfactory manner. On seven of the fifteen farms in operation 

 during the past season the crop produced has been more than the amount 

 guaranteed. The work on about TOO acres, therefore, cost the Deitartment 

 nothing. On some of the remaining farms, owing to intentional late planting, 

 or to other conditions, the yield has been much below the amount guaranteed. 

 In such cases the contract binds the Department to pay the planter for the 

 difference between the amount actually produced and the amount guaranteed 

 at the average price received for what crop the land did produce. 



A novel method for securiiifr the subjugation of an insect was 

 adopted by the State of Texas. The legishitnre of that State voted 

 a reward of $50,000 to the person or persons who shonkl devise a 

 practicable, cheap, and effective plan for the control of the boll weevil. 

 A commission of farmers was appointed to pass upon claimants for 

 the reward and to pnt the various plans to a practical test. 



The chairman of this conmiission, Hon. Jefferson Johnson, of Aus- 

 tin, Tex., has kindly furnished a brief statement, which may be of 

 interest, concerning the varieties of remedies proposed. 



This work has involved an outlay of considerable time. There were more 

 than 300 claimants for the reward. Not all of tliese. however, complied with 

 the requirements of the law. Three thousand letters have been received from 

 people who believed that they knew something that would be of value to the 

 commission. 



It would be hard to determine how many principles were depended upon to 

 support these various claims. The majority of them trusted to cultural methods. 

 A large number presented some form of poisoning. There was quite a number 

 of theories for fumigation either to kill the weevil or drive it from the field. 

 Several claims de])ended upon placing in the soil some ingredients or poison 

 that would be taken up by the plant and thus make the plant distasteful or 

 poisonous. Others along the same line proposed methods to make the plant 

 immune. There were several claimants who depended ui)on inoculation of the 

 weevil with some contagious disease, and in this manner so destroying the 

 powers of propagation as to rid the country of the pest in this way. Several 

 claimants insisted that Providence had sent the insect, and that Providence 

 alone could remove it, and these trusted in sui)plication. Not a few advanced 

 the theory that noxious plants could be grown with the cotton, thus either 

 destroying the weevil or keeping it from the field. One claimant submitted a 

 proposition to plant poppies, thus destroying the weevil by the opium that the 

 insect would get from this plant. 



Many ingenious machines were made for catching weevils and for picking up 

 by mechanical process the squares from the ground. Other machines were 

 invented and tried for burning the squares on the ground, and others for passing 

 the squares between rollers. 



These claimants came from e^■ery (luarter of the globe, and letters were 

 addressed to the commission in the language of almost all of the civilized world. 



