602 RURAL SOCIOLOGY 



Another crisis in Dr. Knapp 's life came about this time. His 

 health gave way under a severe attack of rheumatism. Phy- 

 sicians said he must give up college work. Turning his face to 

 the sunny South he organized a great development company, 

 bought a million acres of land in southwest Louisiana and sent 

 invitations all over the Northwest, "Come South, young men, 

 and grow up with the country." Several thousand came. For 

 many years he had believed that the South was destined for a 

 wonderful future. He said, "Here is a people of pure Anglo- 

 Saxon stock, energetic but conservative, without much admixture 

 of foreign blood. These people should be the conservators of 

 the best American traditions. Here is a productive soil, de- 

 lightful climate, and long growing seasons." 



He at once began to conduct demonstrations in rice growing 

 and diversified farming for benefit of native farmers and immi- 

 grants. In 1898, however, he was authorized by the Secretary 

 of Agriculture to visit China, Japan, and the Philippines, to 

 make rice investigations. In 1901 he made a second trip to 

 the Orient; he went to Europe in 1901 to study agricultural 

 conditions, and later to Porto Rico to report on agricultural 

 resources and possibilities. 



His training was complete 'after seventy years of study to begin 

 his great work. In 1903 the Mexican boll weevil began to make 

 such destruction in the Texas cotton fields that Dr. Knapp was 

 sent into Texas to fight its deadly ravages. He began by 

 organizing the farmers and instituting the Farmers' Cooperative 

 Work. Dr. Knapp visited one small farm near Terrell, Tex., 

 about twice a month and directed operations there. Neigh- 

 boring farmers met him in field meetings. At the close of 

 the year he had proved that cotton could be grown in the face 

 of the boll weevil, and was urged to extend his teachings and 

 his methods throughout the whole country devastated by the 

 pest. The next year, with funds furnished by Congress and by 

 local business men, he appointed a few agents and began to or- 

 ganize different counties in Texas. The work soon attracted 

 the attention of the country. Congress enlarged its appropri- 

 ation, local aid was increased, and the work was extended to 

 Louisiana and Mississippi. About this time the General Edu- 

 cation Board of New York asked to be allowed to appropriate 



