REPORT OF BOLL WEEVIL COMMISSION/ 



Preliminary Statement, 

 organization. 



At a meeting of the agricultural committee of the board of trustees 

 of Clemson College at Drainlancl in July, 1916, a committee of trus- 

 tees, and college officials Avas organized to visit the boll-weevil sec- 

 tion in order to give to the farmers of South Carolina first-hand im- 

 pressions of conditions and to suggest methods of preparedness.' Cir- 

 cumstances prevented this committee making its trip in the summer 

 or fall of 1915. 



At a meeting of the agricultural committee at Clemson College, 

 July, 1916, it was decided to enlarge the commission by inviting 

 State-wide organizations to furnish each a representative on the 

 commission. An invitation was sent to the following organizations : 



The University of South Carolina. 



The State department of agriculture. 



The United States Department of Agriculture. 



The South Carolina Bankers' Association. 



The South Carolina Cotton Seed Crushers' Association. 



The South Carolina State Farmers' Union. 



The State Press Association. 



The personnel of the commission as finally constituted is shown 

 on the preceding page, and includes in addition to the college officials 

 the representatives of those organizations accepting the invitation of 

 the agricultural committee. 



THE VISIT TO THE BOLL-WEEVIL TERRITORY. 



The commission set out on its trip of inspection on September 30. 

 A day was spent in New Orleans in consultation with merchants, 

 cotton factors, bankers, and other business men. Six days were spent 

 in traveling over the State of Louisiana. One day was spent in 

 Mississippi and" one day in Alabama. 



Louisian a w ns sp.lp.rtp.d as the principal field for investigation be- 

 cause the boll weevil had been in that State long enough to per- 

 manQntly_affeGt its agricultural and economic conditions. Further- 

 more, through the courtesy of Prof. W. R. Dodson, director. of the 

 Louisiana Agricultural Experiment Station, the commission was 

 assured of exceptional advantages for its study of conditions. 



1 Tbe passages printed in italics arc revisions sxibstituled for passages In llie origitial 

 report. _ 



