THE DEMONSTRATION WORK 



him if the Government couldn't take some action to 

 punish parties who advertised fake cures. He went on 

 to tell how he had spent a lot of hard cash and been out a 

 lot of labor in the purchase of a few barrels of turpentine 

 which he had put on his cotton by means of sacks, wet in 

 turpentine, and fastened to the cultivator to drag over the 

 plants, and in spite of all that the weevils had totally ruined 

 his crop. Dr. Knapp told him the trouble was he hadn't 

 used the turpentine right, that he should have put it on the 

 mules and the drivers of the cultivators so as to make them 

 speed up the cultivation. Everybody yelled and laughed 

 except the man who had the grievance. When the Doctor 

 got done laughing he took occasion to lecture the bunch on 

 rapid cultivation and early planting as the best and surest 

 method of beating the boll weevil. 



A Typical Letter from a Mississippi Negro Farmer 

 *'I rite you a few lines in the gards of farming agri- 

 cultur. I do say that your advice has Ben Folard, and your 

 direcksion have Been o 'Baid, and I find that I am successful 

 in Life. Say, Mr. Knapp, I do know that there is gooder 

 men. as you and as fair as you. But o that keen eye ov yourse, 

 that watches every crook in farming, that can tell ever man 

 whichever way to Gro to be successful in Life. On last yer 

 i folored your advice, and allso on yer Befor last. On 1908 

 i made 14 Bails of cotton, and in 1909 17 Bails. I started 

 with one mule and now I own 3 head ov the great worthies. 

 Thanks to you for your advice a Long that Line, and Great 

 success in your occapation to you. 



* ' Say, Mr. Knapp, I am a culered man. Live near Grays- 

 port, Mississippi. Com a plenty, allso made a plenty of 



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