State Crop Pest Commission of 



as a producer of crops. Fields eontinnally planted m one crop 

 will eventually have no humus left in them (and thus become 

 profitless to the farmer), unless the necessary humus is regularly 

 restored hy fertilization and rotation of crops. No fertiliza- 

 tion IS EQUAL TO THAT BROUGHT ABOUT BY THE USE OF STABLE 



MANURE OR THAT DUE TO THE FEED LOT. It will restore the soil 

 better than any other fertilizer, especially if rotation of crops 

 is practiced also. To secure, therefore, the greatest requisite to 

 successful cotton planting, i. e., perfect preparation of soil and 

 favorable soil conditions, ive should have fertilization icith stable 

 manure. To have stable manure we must have live stoclc, 

 especially cattle, to utilize to the fullest our cotton seed and the 

 roughage produced by a soil-conserving agriculture. To have 

 cattle we must be rid of the parasitic fever tick. And conversely, 

 if we are rid of this tick we will have cattle, and thence stable 

 manure, and also rotation of crops, as a live stock industry has 

 this in its wake. And consequently we will have the foremost 

 requisites for the successful cultivation of cotton; that is to say. 

 a friable, rich soil, warm early in spring, moisture-retaining dur- 

 ing drouth, stimulating to plant growth throuahout the growing 

 season ; in other words, all the foremost essentials to the growing 

 of a profitable cotton crop in a boll weevil affected country. I 

 assert, that with the thorough preparation of such a soil, as 

 soon as the seed is entrusted to it half of the crop is made, and 

 seventy-five per cent of the ordinary risk of crop production 

 is overcome. 



The second essential in the successful culture of cotton (in 

 a weevil infested territory) is the proper fertility of the soil. 

 It is quite a mooted question as yet in how far chemical fer- 

 tilizers do contribute to soil improvement, especially if used alone 

 for a long period of time. Aside from the objectionable feature 

 of great cost, chemical fertilizers must also be objected to in that 

 they do not restore humus, i. e., "life," to the soil. To properly 

 fertilize the soil so as to bring about this second most necessary 

 feature of the successful production of cotton in the weevil in- 

 fested country we must have a healthy live stock industry, con- 

 sisting mainly of cattle. 



"With soil preparation, and fertilization with stable manure 



