HEARINGS BEFORE COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE. 39 
cranks there are in Texas, and there area vood many there. Every 
fellow who knows how to put two pieces of paper together is trying 
to get up some plan to destroy the boll weevil and get the $50,000. 
If we had intelligent supervision there, a man enuilet come and say, 
“This is not good,” and discard it. There are lots of idle people 
going over the country thinking they have discovered a remedy for 
the boll weevil. But there is some advantage resulting. I know from 
my own use of it and practical experience that this blower that is 
referred to by Doctor Howard is a good thing. 
The Cuarrman. A blower? 
Mr. Bureess. It is a machine that sucks up the square. 
Mr. Frexp. It sucks up the square. It is recommended by the 
Department that squares in which the egg is deposited be picked up 
and destroyed, but it is a very tedious process, going around and 
picking up squares that have fallen to the ground. This man comes 
in with what we call a blower, a suction machine 
The Cuarrman. Something like a carpet sweeper? 
Mr. Freip. Yes; on the same principle. It passes between the 
rows, and it knocks the stalks on their sides, which causes the squares 
to fall that are not quite ready, and then this suction just takes up all 
those in the middle of the road, and it saves a great deal of Jabor in 
the picking up of squares. It is a very good hing. Somebody else 
will find something still better, and I think in timé we will be able to 
accomplish something on that line in the destruction of the weevil; 
but I know that very great good will be accomplished by collateral 
methods. 
Mr. Bowir. Judge, I want to ask you a question. Is it not true 
that in your country, as well as in other sections, the common people, 
the general run of people, have a great deal of confidence in the work 
that is conducted by the General Government? 
Mr. Fretp. Yes, sir. 
Mr. Bowrzr. When the work is done by the General Government, 
they give it more weightand pay more attention to it than they would 
otherwise ? 
Mr. Frevp. I think so; and there is another feature of this com- 
mission. The chairman suggested, why not commit-the whole matter 
to the Secretary of Agriculture? His idea was that he could work in 
that way better than in any other form. 
The Cuarrman. That is, the Secretary of Agriculture? 
Mr. Frevp. The Secretary of Agriculture. He suggested that idea 
of the commission, and we acted upon it, and there is this advantage 
about it: You take two good practical men in Texas and one in Louisi- 
ana, well-known men, practical farmers, men who are known through- 
out the States, and I believe there will be some advantage in their 
suggestions and advice to the Department of the Government. The 
scientist often, if you will excuse the expression, looks through a goose 
quill. He is very intense, like the sunglass, but sometimes you are 
not able to concentrate the rays right on the subject, and the practical 
man of affairs, reaching out, seeing it every day, looking at 1t, some- 
times from the outside, is able to furnish very good suggestions to the 
scientist. For that reason I think it well to have associated with them 
men practical in affairs. 
Mr. Haucen. It is evident your State does not fully appreciate the 
importance of studying this boll weevil. 
Mr. Frecp. Let me tell you about that. We have an iron-hound 
