8 



Fanners who followed, essentially, the cultural measures urged 

 by the Commission, made upwards of 90 per cent more cotton 

 per acre than did those farmers in the same locality who used 

 <4 native" seed and adhered to their former plan of planting a 

 larger acreage 1'han could be properly cared for with the labor 

 ai their command. This success, on the part of individual farm- 

 ers, in applying the cultural methods, with a resultant increased 

 production of over 90 per cent, is most encouraging. By con- 

 tinuing an active educational campaign among the planters and 

 farmers and by continued field demonstrations the Commission 

 can undoubtedly bring about the general adoption of the cul- 

 tural remedy, with a resultant saving of at least as large a 

 per cent of the crop as that saved by the farmers of Sabine 

 Parish referred to. 



The cotton crop of the parishes in which the boll weevil at 

 present occurs (Bossier, Caddo, Calcasieu, Cameron, De Soto, 

 Grant, Natchitoches, Rapides, Red River, Sabine, St. Landry, 

 Vernon and \Yinn) during the years 1899 to 1903, inclusive, 

 averaged 263,565 bales per year, which at $50.00 per bale may 

 be consider.-,! as worth in the neighborhood of $13,178,000. As- 

 suming that, without the adoption of the cultural remedy, the boll 

 weevil will reduce this yearly crop but 50 per cent (and it is 

 likely that the reduction, under such circumstances, would be 

 much greater than -this), the annual crop of this territory will 

 be reduced to 131,000 bales. The farmers in these parishes can 

 ' the cultural remedy with at least as good results as did 

 the Sabine Parish farmers mentioned above, and the general 

 adoption of the cultural remedy in these parishes will there- 

 fore result in a sin-inn of at Icaxl an amount equivalent to 90 

 per cent of the 131.000 bales, or 118,000 bales per year, worth 

 in the neighborhood of $5,900,000. 



IVi-haps the urea test obstacle with which the Commission 

 has to contend, is the prejudice which some farmers have 

 !;>w;.rds "scientific" work and methods. Failing to realize that 

 true science is nothing }, u t the plain unvarnished truth, they 

 attempt to disparage what they are pleased to call " book-fa rm- 

 ii '-'." This unfortunate obstacle to a universally successful cam- 

 paign against the boll weevil can, and must he, overcome by edu- 



