Growing Sea Island Cotton Under Florida Conditions 



WORK UPON WHICH THIS REPORT IS BASED 



The problem of growing Sea Island cotton under boll weevil 

 conditions has been recognized by entomologists as probably 

 the most difficult of all cotton problems. When the weevil first 

 invaded the Sea Island Belt, about 1914-16, growers had made 

 no effort to study the problem and the industry went out of 

 existence within about three or four years. Of course, a few 

 straggling fields were planted up to about 1927. However, 

 certain seed stocks were kept by the U. S. Bureau of Plant 

 Industry by planting a small acreage each year near Charles- 

 ton, S. C. 



In 1935 the Works Progress Administration, noting a few 

 bales of Sea Island Cotton had been grown in 1934 near Tren- 

 ton, Fla., in an area where no cotton had been grown for sev- 

 eral years, decided to make an effort to rehabilitate the "lost 

 industry" in the weevil-infested areas. Plantings were made 

 in Madison County in 1935 on a very small scale — approxi- 

 mately 100 acres. WPA Entomologists were successful in de- 

 veloping a method of poisoning the over-wintered weevils and 

 in 1936 Madison County Sea Island acreage was increased to 

 approximately 450 acres. The 1936 crop was profitable and 

 growers all over the "Old Sea Island Belt," began making in- 

 quiries for seed. This condition led to the State-wide Weevil 

 Poisoning Programs of 1937 and 1938 under the auspices of 

 the WPA. 



In addition to proving Sea Island cotton could be grown 

 under boll weevil conditions in Florida, the WPA, through 

 the work of its entomologists, reestablished the market — both 

 foreign and domestic. 



The Florida Experiment Station and the Federal Bureau of 

 Plant Industry have co-operated in the rehabilitation work and 

 have made many valuable suggestions; the Experiment Sta- 

 tion in having county agents co-operate in the poisoning pro- 

 gram, improving seed stocks; and, the Bureau of Plant In- 

 dustry in "rogueing" fields, plant breeding and keeping pure 

 seed strains. The State Department of Agriculture, through 

 Commissioner Nathan Mayo, has also been of invaluable as- 

 sistance — acting as sponsor for the State-wide poisoning Pro- 

 grams in 1937 and 1938. 



The work upon which this report is based represents a sum- 

 mary of four years work by WPA Entomologists. The results 

 of the 1935-36 experiments were published in the spring of 

 1937 and the present report brings the research work of all 

 four years up to date. 



