15 



infested, the field had stopped blooming. Weevils were so numer- 

 ous at that time that there Avas no chance of further formation of 

 bolls. As the yield was somewhat less than 250 pounds of seed cotton 

 per acre, it can not be considered that the use of poison was successful. 



Mr. W. Withers, Lockhart. 



The above .sketch, with the exception of plat 6, represents the fields 

 which were poisoned once bj means of a powder gun at the rate of 

 2 pounds per acre. With the following exceptions, the fields were 

 all cultivated exactly alike, each being plowed nine times. Plat 1 was 

 broken four times, as follows: In July, in August, and in September, 

 1903, and in February, 190-1. The other fields were broken only in 

 the spring, when plat 3 was doul)le bedded, while plats 5 and 6 were 

 single bedded. 



The jaeld upon plat 0, which was not poisoned, as well as upon the 

 remainder of the plantation, averaged about one-half bale per acre. 

 On plat 5 the yield was about the same; plat 3 gave three-fifths bale 

 per acre; plats 2 and 1: about 340 pounds of lint per acre, while plat 1 

 produced over two bales. In other words, plat 5 was no better than 

 cotton which was not poisoned, while plat 3, which was double bedded, 

 was better than either plat 5 or cotton which was not poisoned. This 

 difference in yield can be attributed only to the better preparation of 

 the land before planting, for plat 3 was planted nearly a month later 

 than plat 5. The value of thorough preparation of the land before 

 planting is more strikingly shown in the contrast between plats 1 

 and 4:. Plat 1, while only 1 acre in area, was thoroughly broken 

 four times before planting and produced over two bales, while plat 1 

 with one spring breaking produced less than four-fifths bale per acre. 



Mr. Withers also poisoned a 5-acre field six times at the rate of 2 

 pounds per acre for each application and this field did not produce as 



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